| For Immediate Release Case # 10CF3288 August 27, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER CONVICTED OF UNLAWFUL SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH FEMALE STUDENT
SANTA ANA – A high school Spanish teacher was convicted today of having an unlawful sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student, whom he would meet in an Orange riverbed for sex. Scott Adrian Peterson, 50, Anaheim, pleaded guilty to a court offer to two felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, four felony counts of oral copulation of a minor, and two felony counts of sexual penetration by foreign object of a minor. The defendant is expected to be sentenced Oct. 5, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-49, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Peterson is expected to be sentenced to four years and four months in state prison. Under the new State sentencing laws, the court is expected to split the defendant’s sentence. Peterson will be ordered to serve 16 months in jail and the remaining three years under mandatory supervision.
Peterson met 17-year-old Jane Doe, a student at Orange High School, while working at the school as a Spanish teacher. He groomed the victim by spending time with her outside of school at Disneyland and other social events.
Beginning in April 2010, Peterson had an unlawful sexual relationship with Jane Doe. He took sexually explicit photos of himself with the victim and sent her sexually explicit text messages about the unlawful sexual relationship. He had intercourse with Jane Doe and engaged in oral copulation and digital penetration and regularly met Jane Doe at a motel and in an Orange riverbed to engage in the unlawful sex acts.
A family member of the victim became suspicious of the relationship between the defendant and Jane Doe and discovered the sexual text messages on the victim’s phone. The family member told Jane Doe’s mother, who reported it to the Orange Police Department (OPD).
Following an investigation, OPD went to arrest Peterson and learned that he was at the riverbed. Upon arriving at the riverbed, officers located Jane Doe’s car. The victim came out of the riverbed shortly after officers arrived, but was not contacted by police at that time. Peterson left the riverbed minutes later and was arrested at the scene.
Deputy District Attorney Nicole Varner of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.
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