Abuse Investigation Widens at Navy Base

POINT MUGU — Federal investigators suspect that a number of children may have been molested by a worker at a day care center at the Point Mugu Navy base, according to a Navy spokesman.

More than 40 counselors and investigators who descended on the base after a complaint was made public last week have greatly expanded the scope of their inquiry. Base spokesman Alan Alpers said the number of victims may be much higher than initially suspected.

“We don’t know the numbers,” Alpers said. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. We’re trying to keep the hysteria from parents down so we can keep to the core of the investigation.”

The suspect, who has been placed on paid leave since the allegation of child molestation was made March 21, is a civilian employee of the Navy base.

In addition to children at the Child Development Center, who are between 6 weeks and 5 years old, the investigation has expanded to include children at a base after-school center for youths between the ages of 5 and 12, Alpers said.

Navy officials over the weekend assembled a team of 40 child psychologists to interview and physically examine any of the children who may have been in contact with the suspect, whose name has not been released.

Officials at the Navy’s Child Advocacy Response Team, a panel of experts brought in from San Diego to assist in the investigation, have answered hundreds of phone calls to a hotline set up to ease parents’ concerns.