EL DORADO HILLS — A former longtime Oak Ridge High School band teacher arrested earlier this year on allegations of sexually abusing a minor has pleaded guilty to six felony counts and is expected to serve more than six years in state prison under a plea agreement, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office.
Paul Varoff, who taught at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills and spent decades as a music educator, entered guilty pleas to six felony counts involving child sexual abuse and admitted all aggravating factors alleged in the case, prosecutors said.
Under the plea agreement, Varoff will be sentenced to six years and four months in state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court also issued a 15-year criminal protective order for the survivor, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The guilty pleas bring a significant development in a case that became public in January, when El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Varoff following an investigation into allegations involving a minor.
Varoff was arrested on the morning of Jan. 26 and initially faced 10 felony counts — five counts of oral copulation of a person under 18 and five counts of sexual penetration of a person under 18. Following his arrest, he was booked into the El Dorado County Jail and held without bail.
At the time of the arrest, the Sheriff’s Office said the alleged crimes occurred between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2023. Prosecutors also alleged that Varoff took advantage of a position of trust or confidence in committing the offenses.
Court documents provided additional details about the allegations. A criminal complaint indicated the offenses were alleged to have occurred at several locations and under different circumstances, including at Varoff’s home, inside his school office, in a hot tub and during a birthday celebration.
The El Dorado Union High School District confirmed following Varoff’s January arrest that the allegations involved a minor and stemmed from events several years earlier.
According to the district, Varoff was hired Aug. 31, 1995, and retired May 26, 2023, ending nearly 28 years with the El Dorado Union High School District. He worked at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, where he was associated with the school’s music program.
Varoff’s career as a music educator began well before his arrival in El Dorado Hills. The San Juan Unified School District previously confirmed that Varoff worked in that district from 1985 through 1995 as a band and choir teacher. Combined, his employment with the two districts spanned nearly four decades.
The case moved forward following Varoff’s January arrest and the filing of charges by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. He initially faced the 10 felony counts outlined by sheriff’s investigators before reaching the plea agreement announced by prosecutors.
As part of that agreement, Varoff pleaded guilty to six felony charges rather than proceeding to trial on the original charges. The District Attorney’s Office said he also admitted all aggravating factors associated with the offenses.
Those admissions are part of the agreement that calls for Varoff to receive a sentence of six years and four months in California state prison. In addition to the prison term, Varoff will be required to register as a sex offender.
The 15-year criminal protective order issued by the court is intended to prohibit contact with the survivor for the duration of the order.
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