A former teacher is now facing criminal charges in connection with alleged sexual abuse. Kester is currently facing a civil lawsuit brought by four former students of Folsom Cordova Unified. These students have accused the teacher of grooming and sexually abusing them during their time in his class.
Kester, who was released from custody while awaiting prosecution in the criminal case, was expected to appear in Sacramento Superior Court on Friday morning but failed to show up without informing his attorney or the court. Jay Dyer, the defense attorney for Kester, expressed concern for his client’s welfare and requested that sheriff’s deputies perform a wellness check on Kester.
Judge Satnam S. Rattu has also decided to revoke the court’s previous order and issue a warrant for Kester’s arrest, removing his freedom on his own recognizance. Later that morning, deputies discovered Kester at his apartment located in the 9200 block of Madison Avenue, near Blue Oak Drive on the border of Orangevale and Fair Oaks.
According to sheriff’s officials, Kester unfortunately resorted to self-harm by pointing a gun at himself and stabbing himself with a knife, despite the deputies’ efforts to calm the situation. Kester eventually returned to his apartment and remained inside until approximately 1:15 p.m., at which point he peacefully surrendered. An ambulance rushed him to the hospital, where he was placed on a gurney.
According to court records, the former school teacher is set to make a court appearance on Tuesday at 3 p.m. for an arraignment hearing in the child abuse criminal case. In the criminal case, he is accused of engaging in inappropriate and offensive behavior with a child under 14.
According to jail records obtained by SacBee, there are no indications of any new charges related to the recent standoff with deputies. A case management conference has been scheduled for June 27 in Sacramento Superior Court regarding the child sex abuse civil case. According to the plaintiffs, incidents of molestation have been reported dating back to the 1990s, with the most recent case occurring in 2021 at Cordova Meadows Elementary School.