HOLLY SPRINGS, Ga. — A math, science and engineering teacher at a private school in Cherokee County is in the Fulton County jail facing multiple charges after a Roswell police child sexual assault investigation.
Roswell police said they began investigating a child sexual assault claim that was alleged to have taken place at the Fulton Academy of Science and Technology charter school in early 2020.
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Investigators identified 63-year-old Robert Vandel as their suspect. Vandel taught science at the Fulton Academy in 2020 and the victim was allegedly a student in one of his classes.
Vandel was placed in handcuffs Thursday afternoon at Lyndon Academy in Holly Springs while he was at work. He was a teacher at the Cherokee County school.
Lyndon Academy fired Vandel after being informed about what happened.
Parents at that school told Channel 2 Action News reporter Chris Jose they were happy the school reacted so fast.
“It was a little shocking at first.” said K.C. Rowe who has children at Lyndon Academy. “Lyndon didn’t hold back anything, they immediately came out with information.”
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Jose spoke to investigators from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Holly Springs Police and Roswell Police, all who say they are investigating to see if there may be other victims. They are encouraging parents to talk to their kids, as difficult as that conversation may be.
“We do understand that we are dealing a potentially young age group of children who may not know the best way to advocate for themselves.” said Officer Tim Lupo with Roswell Police. “So we would encourage parents and educators to have conversations with their children as well.”
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Vandel remains in custody at the Fulton County jail as the investigation continues. He’s facing charges of aggravated assault with intent to rape a child under 14, aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes and rape.
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