Ventura ex-music teacher accused of lewd acts

A former music teacher from Ventura has been indicted by a grand jury on six counts of committing lewd acts against minors, the California Attorney General’s Office said Thursday.

John Edward Zeretzke, of Ventura, operated a small business called Flutes Around the World through which he taught music lessons at schools throughout Southern California. According to the indictment filed March 18 in Orange County, between Jan. 1 and April 30 of 2017, Zeretzke allegedly committed six lewd acts against five female victims under age 14.

Earlier coverage:

• Ventura man indicted on suspicion of multiple child sex crimes
• Tainted-flute inquiry has link to Ventura suspect in child sex crimes

The charges are separate from five other counts of sexual misconduct filed last September by a federal grand jury. Federal prosecutors’ allegations include that Zertzke attempted to entice another victim to send him sexually explicit images and that he traveled to the Philippines with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with other minor victims.

“Crimes against children are despicable. Schools must represent a safe environment for our students,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “No parent should fear for the safety and security of their child at school. We will work relentlessly to hold people who exploit our children criminally accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

The investigation was conducted by members of the Attorney General’s Office, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

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