Santa Barbara County District Attorney formally charges Goleta teacher for child molestation and electronic peeping
GOLETA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office announced Monday morning that Steven Schapansky, a former Santa Barbara Charter School teacher faces two felony counts of child molestation on a child under the age of 14 and 70 misdemeanor counts of electronic peeping.
The felony complaint details that Schapansky touched two girls under the age of 14 while they were sleeping. According to the complaint, Schapansky touched "Jane Doe 2" sometime between January 1, 2018 and December 24, 2019 and touched "Jane Doe 27" sometime between April 1 and 30, 2023.
The first charges of electronic peeping appear to have happened around July 30, 2017 and the latest charges happened around June 1, 2023. At least 46 separate "Jane Does" are identified in the complaint.
Schapansky is set to make his first court appearance on Friday, September 13.
---- ORIGINAL ARTICLE FROM 9/6/24----
Detectives have re-arrested Steven Schapansky, a former Santa Barbara Charter School teacher, on a new charge of child molestation in Fresno.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office confirmed Schapansky has been re-arrested but has not released what charges will be filed yet.
In July, Sheriff deputies originally arrested the 54-year-old Goleta man for secretly recording juveniles in several locations including the school where he was employed. These recordings were captured at various locations including areas where juveniles would change clothes, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Deputies found the recording devices in Schapansky's possession, according to a press release. He was originally booked at the main jail for invasion of privacy with a recording device, a misdemeanor charge, but was later released.
After conducting a follow-up on this case, detectives identified Schapansky as the suspect in a child molestation case. After obtaining an arrest warrant, detectives tracked Schapansky down staying in the Fresno area according to the Sheriff's Office.
On Friday, with the help of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, detectives arrested Schapansky on a felony warrant around 10:00 a.m. He was booked at the Northern Branch Jail where he is being held on $100,000 bail.
Identifying information about the juvenile survivor is not available for release according to Raquel Zick, Public Information Office for the Sheriff's Office.
Survivors of similar crimes can contact the Victim-Witness Assistance Program directly or toll-free.
