Mill Valley music teacher, Darren Smith, 55, is found dead days after he was arrested on suspicions of child sex abuse

A California music teacher has been found dead just days after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse and molestation of a child under the age of 14.

Darren Smith, 55, of Fairfax, who taught music at Mill Valley Middle School, north of San Francisco, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child and continuous sexual abuse of a child.

When school district officials became aware of the allegations, they contacted the Sheriff’s Office and placed Smith on administrative leave.

Smith had been employed by the district since August 2013 and taught music in kindergarten through fifth grade. He also previously worked for 13 years as a music teacher in elementary schools in the Alameda Unified School District.

Smith was booked into the Marin County Jail on Tuesday, where his bail was set at $200,000.

His body was found dead in the waters off Drakes Beach on Point Reyes near San Francisco a day after his arrest on suspicion of sexual abuse of a child.

But less than 24 hours later, on Wednesday evening, Smith’s body was recovered from the waters off Drakes Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Emergency services were alerted after someone spotted a surfer on the coastline who may have washed up in the sea at Point Reyes.

The man was last seen around 10am on Wednesday with his surfboard washing up a few hours later at 1pm.

First responders from the National Park Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Marin County Fire Department and the Sonoma and Marin sheriff’s offices then began an “exhaustive” search for the man.

At 5:30 p.m., the body was found floating in the ocean and later identified as Smith.

An autopsy and toxicology text was conducted Friday to determine Smith’s exact cause of death.

The Sheriff’s Office said Mill Valley Unified School District notified them of the allegations and placed Smith on administrative leave.

Smith had been employed by the district since August 2013 and taught music in kindergarten through fifth grade at Mill Valley Middle School.

Smith’s arrest came “after a thorough investigation into the allegations, including forensic interviews and evidence review during which detectives developed probable cause to arrest Smith,” police said.

The sheriff’s office said there are two known victims in the case, but declined to say whether they are students in the school district.

“The district will not tolerate any behavior that endangers the safety or well-being of our students,” district officials said in a statement Tuesday.

Marin County Superior Court records show Smith would be charged with two felony counts of lewd or lascivious acts toward a child and one misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a child.

Elizabeth Kaufman, the superintendent of the Mill Valley School District, sent a letter to parents Thursday about Smith’s death

Elizabeth Kaufman, the superintendent of the Mill Valley School District, sent a letter to parents Thursday about Smith’s death.

“This loss comes amid disturbing news regarding Mr. Smith’s recent arrest, adding a layer of complexity to the emotions we are feeling,” she wrote.

Kaufman said the schools have counselors and other staff members who can help students who “need help processing” the news of Smith’s death.

“Thank you for your compassion and understanding as we navigate these challenging times together,” Kaufman said. “Let us keep Mr. Smith’s family and loved ones in our thoughts as they face this loss.”