WALNUT CREEK — An employee at a performing arts school has been arrested on suspicion that he raped an underage student, police said.
The arrest of the suspect, identified by police as 43-year-old Gerard Flaherty, happened about 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a statement from Walnut Creek police Lt. Drew Olson. Police did not provide details of the arrest or how they came to determine Flaherty was a suspect.
Olson said Flaherty was employed by the Contra Costa School of the Performing Arts in Walnut Creek.
Police said they were not releasing additional details because of the victims’ age, Olson said.
Flaherty remained in the Martinez Detention Facility on Friday without bail, according to jail records. Those records indicate police booked him on suspicion of raping a person who was asleep and assault with the intent to commit rape.
Court records indicated that as of Friday morning, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office had not yet filed formal charges against Flaherty.
The investigation is ongoing, according to Olson. Police asked anyone with information to contact them at 925-943-5844 or 925-943-5865.