Sacramento County substitute teacher arrested, accused of sexually assaulting multiple children

A San Juan Unified School District substitute teacher who worked with elementary school students and at a district after-school program was arrested Thursday on suspicion of sexually assaulting children, police said.

Ricky Linan, 58, faces charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old and having child pornography, according to online jail records. The victims were part of the after-school program, said Lt. Wesley Herman, a spokesperson with the Citrus Heights Police Department.

The district learned of the allegations on Dec. 2 against Linan and reported him to the Citrus Heights Police Department, said Raj Rai, a spokesperson with the San Juan Unified School District.

“The safety and well-being of our students are always our top priority and this news is upsetting,” the district said in a statement.

Linan was “promptly” placed on administrative leave while the investigation unfolded. Officers found “evidence related to the crime, which resulted in additional minor victims that were identified,” police said in a Thursday news release.

Questions about where the sexual assault took place and whether the victims are students were referred to the Citrus Heights Police Department by Rai. A spokesperson with the Police Department declined to say if the victims are students.

Linan, employed as a substitute teacher for the district, also worked in after-school programs at the Mariposa Avenue, Cambridge Heights, Gold River Discovery Center, Coyle Avenue and Cowan Fundamental elementary schools, as well as Woodside K-8 School. He began substitute teaching in January 2020, Rai said.

He also worked as a special education substitute at General Davie Jr. Primary Center preschool and at a special education preschool program at the former Garfield Elementary School campus.

Detectives arrested Linan at his home Thursday morning, according to the news release. His bail is set at $1.7 million and he is due to appear in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday, online jail records show.

The Citrus Heights Police Department asked the public to report any other victims by calling officers at 916-727-5524.

This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM.