Kings County Sheriff's deputies arrested 41-year-old Alton Mckneely earlier this month on misdemeanor and felony charges related to inappropriately touching students.
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On June 2, officials say they learned about allegations against Mckneely.
Investigators say three 8-year-old girls individually came forward and said Mckneely had touched them inappropriately.
The department says they found enough evidence to arrest him on June 3.
"Our detectives have interviewed the families and certainly they are upset and they are devastated, it's their children and a parent wants nothing more than to protect their child from anything bad," said Kings County Sheriff's Sergeant Nate Ferrier.
Mckneely had been working at Akers Elementary School in Lemoore since February 2022.
He was booked on three felony charges and two misdemeanors.
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He pleaded not guilty on June 7th.
The sheriff's office says a search warrant for several of Mckneely's devices has also been approved.
"They will be forensically downloaded and once that gets done we will go from there there could be additional crimes and information potentially on those items," Sgt. Ferrier explained.
Ferrier, says as a father himself his heart goes out to the children and parents involved.
"Anytime there is a sexual assault whether it's in a school or in a home, it's tragic, it's devastating obviously for the child especially. Long-term event that is going to be with them for the rest of their lives," said Sgt. Ferrier.
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He urges families to have an open and age-appropriate conversation with their children about these types of situations.
The school district says it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Action News reached out to Mckneely's attorney but has not yet heard back.
Mckneely's next court date is set for July 7th.
Anyone with information, including those who might've been victims, is urged to call the Kings County Sheriff's Office at (559) 852-4627.
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