Saturday, May 5, 2012

Sex charges hit official at school for abused kids

By NBC News and msnbc.com staff

The vice principal of a small San Diego school for children who have suffered trauma or abuse or have mental health issues has been arrested on 25 counts of child molestation, the center's CEO said Saturday.

According to the Sheriff Department's jail booking log, Kettrell Berry, 49, was taken into custody Friday for allegedly having sex with a child and other molestation charges, NBCSanDiego reported.

Berry is vice principal of the San Diego Center for Children, which say it offers day treatment, counseling and education to children "whose trauma, abuse, emotional, or mental health challenges have kept them from achieving their full potential." 

The log confirms Berry has been booked into San Diego Central Jail, where his bail is set at $1,120,500. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.


Read more on the case at NBCSanDiego.com

On Saturday, center CEO Dave McCaslin released a statement on Berry's arrest.

"We are saddened by the breach of trust that has occurred. In the Center’s 125 years of service in San Diego we have been a lifeline for over 10,000 children. We took immediate action by contacting the San Diego Police Department and Child Protective Services and have been partnering with them throughout the investigation," said McCaslin.

"The safety of our children is always our first priority and we are taking action to ensure their continued safety. We are committed to helping and protecting children and the action of one person will not deter us from providing the best possible care and hope for these children," he continued.

UTSanDiego.com reported that the school fired Berry on April 19 and that McCaslin said the allegations seem to concern one female student.

The San Diego Police Department would not confirm or discuss Berry's arrest at this time.

According to its website, the San Diego Center for Children has five locations in San Diego County and offers "mental health and academic services for these children, including day treatment, outpatient counseling, a K-12th grade education in our accredited school, a residential treatment program, as well as foster care services."

UTSanDiego.com reported that the center has about 70 students at its main campus in Kearny Mesa, a community in San Diego. 

Msnbc.com's Gil Aegerter contributed to this report from Monica Garske at NBC SanDiego.com.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

>>>