Following a multi-month long investigation, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested the head of the Los Gatos Youth Theater.
Deputies arrested 50-year-old Joseph Houg Thursday at his home in San Jose. He has also been a 5th Grade teacher at Blossom Hill Elementary in Los Gatos for more than 20 years. Houg has also apparently gone by the name Brian Houg in the community.
The investigation began in May when a 13-year-old boy reported to Deputies that Houg had asked him to raise his shirt during a one-on-one Zoom meeting. A second boy, also 13, told Deputies that Houg asked to see his underwear during a Zoom call.
Later, Deputies identified a third victim, who alleges that Houg touched him inappropriately in 2008. The victim was in 5th grade at the time.
During a warranted search of Houg’s home, detectives found numerous hard drives.
“A forensic analysis of the storage devices revealed a plethora of behavior indicative of a pedophile,” Deputies said in a media release.
That included recordings of Zoom meetings with students, numerous videos and images of young children in underwear or changing clothes.
Houg is being held on $100,000 bail. He is charged with multiple counts, including felony Lewd and Lascivious Acts with a Minor.
Deputies ask that anyone with information – or anyone else who may have been a victim – to contact the Department. The Sheriff’s office is available at (408) 808-4500 or by anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.
