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Salinas Police Recommend More Charges Against Salinas High Drug Counselor

As the investigation into the Salinas High School drug and alcohol counselor arrested on suspicion of child molestation deepens, police are recommending for the third time that more charges be brought against him.

Gilbert Olivares was first arrested in early March on suspicion of molesting a 14-year-old student at the high school. A week later after, after he posted bail and was freed from jail, Olivares was arrested a second time after investigators found 14 videos Olivares had shot, using a hidden iPhone camera, of students engaging in sexual activity in his campus office.

And today, Salinas Police recommended to the district attorney that Olivares face 14 new charges of committing lewd acts on a child ages 14 or 15.

A 15th charge has also been recommended after a male victim came forward and alleged Olivares touched him inappropriately.

Victims say that while Olivares was not present while they engaged in sexual conduct in his office, he told students when and where such acts could take place.

“Throughout the school, it was known that these things could happen in his office,” says Salinas police investigations sergeant Christopher Lane. “He was such a popular person and he had a lot of followers.”

Lane says more charges could potentially be brought if more victims come forward.

“Other students are scared and embarrassed, and don’t realize that they too are victims,” says Lane. “Because they should know that an adult in this position should know better.”

Detectives are still searching through dozens of videos and photographs of child pornography apparently downloaded from the Internet on Olivares’ home computer.

Olivares is currently being held at the Monterey County Jail and is due to appear in court on April 3 for a preliminary examination.

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