Policy

Ex-Teacher to Plead No Contest to Molesting 20 School Children

Blindfolded children and fed them cookies laced with his semen

|


A former Los Angeles elementary school teacher has agreed to plead no contest to molestation charges involving more than 20 students.

Mark Berndt is accused of blindfolding children and spoon-feeding them cookies laced with his semen in what he called "tasting games."

A source close to the case said Thursday that Berndt plans to enter the legal equivalent of guilty pleas to 23 charges at a hearing Friday. The source spoke only on condition of anonymity because the hearing is pending.

The plea agreement, first reported by the Daily News of Los Angeles, calls for Berndt to be sentenced to 25 years in prison.