GBI says teacher charged with raping a child likely had more victims

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Roswell police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are working to locate more victims of a charter school teacher arrested on multiple charges, including rape and aggravated child molestation.

Robert Vandel, 63, taught at Lyndon Academy in Holly Springs and previously taught at Fulton Academy of Science and Technology (FAST) Charter School in Roswell.

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Last month, Vandel was arrested after an investigation into the sexual assault of a child, reported to have taken place in early 2020 at Fulton Academy. Vandel taught science at the Fulton Academy in 2020 and the victim was allegedly a student in one of his classes.

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Vandel was arrested while he was at work at Lyndon Academy last month. He was later fired by the school.

The GBI said that they believe there are more victims in Holly Springs, Canton, Woodstock, Valdosta, Duluth, Savannah, Midland, Ga. and Opeila, Al.

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All of the victims that have been identified were children under the age of 15 at the time of the assaults.

Anyone with information that can help investigators is urged to contact Roswell Police Department Detective Cheryl Dickerson by email at cdickerson@roswellgov.com or call 770-640-4453.

Vandel has been charged with rape, aggravated assault with the intent to rape a child under 14, aggravated child molestation, sexual assault by a person in supervisory authority, enticing a child for indecent purposes and false imprisonment of a child under 14.

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