Former Bellevue nonprofit employees accused of crimes against children



By MICHAEL KONOPASEK

 Q13 News reporter 

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Parents in Bellevue are on alert after prosecutors filed charges on Thursday against two men accused of inappropriate relationships with school children. The suspects are former employees of Jubilee Reach, a faith-based nonprofit with strong ties to Bellevue Public Schools.

The organization provides after-school activities for children and assigns staffers to work with at-risk students at various schools in the Bellevue district.

"We are shocked and distressed to hear these kinds of reports," said Tom Brewer, Jubilee Reach's chaplain and director of community relations.

Former employee Jonathan George, 28, is accused of sending explicit messages to a 14-year-old girl via Instagram. Prosecutors say that happened while the suspect was an employee at Jubilee Reach. He was fired in early June, according to Brewer.

Derial De Los Santos is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl and making inappropriate advances on two former co-workers after he left Jubilee Reach two years ago. Prosecutors say he lured all three of his victims to his home using Facebook messenger.

"All three victims made it clear to him that they did not want what was happening to happen," said Officer Seth Tyler with the Bellevue Police Department. "He continued, allegedly, to make these advances."

Jubilee Reach staffers say they perform criminal background checks on all prospective employees and volunteers. The center says anyone with a checkered past is not allowed near children. But Q13 News has confirmed at least one of their employees, assigned to the nonprofit's thrift shop, is a felon who served time for for stabbing someone.

"Our highest priority is the safety and the security of the students we serve and their families," said Brewer.

It's a priority that Brewer and his team promise to keep in mind as they review training and practices to ensure no one crosses the line.

"It's certainly disturbing when you have two suspects, very similar offenses, in such a short amount of time," said Tyler. "We are willing to work with Jubilee Reach, if they reach out to us, on assisting them on developing protocols."

Bellevue Police say the takeaway of these cases for parents is vigilance. Officers encourage parents to learn the passwords to their children's social media accounts and keep a close eye on the content of messages.

A Bellevue Public Schools public information official could not be reached for comment.