A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 14 for a former American Canyon High School teacher who is accused of sexually abusing two minors more than a decade apart from each other.
Brad Rowell’s hearing was scheduled Monday during a brief appearance in Napa County Superior Court in Napa before Judge Elia Ortiz. It lasted about a minute and there were no notable discussions.
The preliminary hearing, which is expected to last three hours, will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for Rowell to stand trial in his criminal case.
He is charged with 16 counts of lewd acts on a minor, six counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of oral copulation of a minor, and one count of possessing child pornography.
The vast majority of the charges pertain to alleged activity that is believed to have occurred last fall involving a 16-year-old American Canyon student identified in court as Jane Doe 1.
Three counts of lewd acts relate to alleged activity between August 2008 and January 2010 in Stanislaus County involving a victim identified as Jane Doe 2, according to the Napa County District Attorney’s Office.
The girl was under the age of 14 at the time. Officials have declined to identify her relationship with the defendant.
Rowell, a former physical education teacher and track-and-field coach, who was let go from the Napa Valley Unified School District following his arrest, has pleaded not guilty to the allegations. He remains jailed at the Napa County jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
He was arrested April 9, according to officials, after Jane Doe 1 reported the alleged incidents to a school resource officer, who then informed Napa County sheriff’s investigators.
Rowell was soon released after posting bail but he was again arrested, on April 12, after further investigation revealed additional evidence involving Jane Doe 1, officials said.
Prosecutors said Rowell and Jane Doe 1 engaged in sex acts on campus when she was 15. Investigators also found more than 1,300 texts between the two, including sexually explicit photos and videos of the teen, which investigators say Rowell had requested.
As court proceedings continued, charges related to Jane Doe 2 were filed in June after more investigation led authorities to the alleged criminal acts in Stanislaus County, officials said.
Also in June, prosecutors charged American Canyon Principal Andrew Goff with misdemeanor failing to report suspected criminal activity as a mandated reporter.
Investigators believe Goff spoke to Rowell when the initial abuse allegations were reported, but he never spoke to Jane Doe 1 or contacted authorities.
Goff pleaded not guilty on July 11 and is scheduled to return to Napa County Superior Court in Napa on Aug. 13.
Goff, who had been serving as principal on an interim basis, has been placed on administrative leave from the Napa Valley Unified School District pending the outcome of the charge against him.
You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi
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