WA teacher accused of molesting special needs student

Bellevue special ed teacher accused of molesting child

A special education teacher at a Bellevue elementary school is accused of molesting an 8-year-old student with special needs.

BELLEVUE, Wash. - A special education teacher at a Bellevue elementary school is accused of molesting an 8-year-old student with special needs.

The Bellevue Police Department (BPD) is seeking the public's help in finding any additional victims.

((File / FOX 13))

The suspect, 73-year-old Robert Scroggs, has worked as a special education teacher for the Bellevue School District for years.

The most recent allegations made against him stem from Newport Heights Elementary School. He worked in the elementary school’s special education department from January to April 2024.

On June 6, at 1:34 p.m., school officials told police that a parent reported her daughter had been sexually assaulted by Scroggs.

According to BPD, the victim discussed the sexual assault with the parent and directly identified Scroggs as the perpetrator.

The parent told school authorities that Scroggs would frequently remove the child from class under the pretext of addressing the child's social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, which is when the molestation is said to have occurred.

Police arrested Scroggs on June 7 for first-degree child molestation and booked him into the King County Jail on a $100,000 bail. Scroggs was bailed out at around 8:40 p.m. the next day.

Charging documents filed in King County Superior Court on June 12 show that prosecutors are asking for bail to be kept at $100,000. The state also requested that if Scroggs remains out on bond that he also be on home detention with GPS monitoring:

"Given the predatory nature of this sexual assault, with an obvious abuse of trust of a vulnerable child, the State believes bail is the least restrictive condition that could be reasonably imposed to ensure the safety of the community and to ensure his appearance at future hearings. For these reasons, the State requests bail set in the amount of $100,000.00."

The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center and Child Protective Services have been alerted to the allegations.

Anyone with information about this case, or other potential cases, is urged to come forward and contact the BPD by calling 911 or the NORCOM non-emergency line at 425-577-5656.

Resources are available to help parents talk to kids about sexual assault.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.