Sheriff's investigators said on Thursday Oct. 25, that six people have come forward in the past week alleging they were sexually assaulted by a former Santa Monica Police Athletic League volunteer already charged with molesting four boys beginning as far back as 1986.
Eric Uller, 50, was charged Monday with six felony counts -- three of lewd acts on a child, two of oral copulation of a person under 18 and one of continuous sexual abuse, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Uller, who is being held in lieu of $2 million bail, appeared at the Airport Courthouse on Monday afternoon but did not enter a plea and his arraignment was postponed to Nov. 5.
Prosecutors said three of the four alleged victims were under the age of 14 at the time the alleged crimes were committed -- between December 1986 and September 1995.
Sheriff's Sgt. Todd Deeds told reporters Thursday that six additional potential victims have come forward since Uller's arrest last week. He said Uller targeted little boys.
“We believe he befriended them, groomed them and then he sexually assaulted them,” Deeds said.
Sheriff's officials said they believe there may still be more victims, and Deeds urged people to come forward with information.
Uller, who works for the city of Santa Monica as a systems analyst, has been the subject of an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau since June, when detectives received information from the Santa Monica Police Department, officials said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Santa Monica police received an anonymous tip about the alleged lewd acts. Uller has been placed on administrative leave from his job with the city.
Anyone with information about Uller or additional possible victims are urged to call the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or lacrimestoppers.org.
