Two married school teachers have been arrested on charges they had unlawful sexual relations with a 17-year-old male student.
Daniel Alma Shepard, 62, and Gay Davidson-Shepard, 59, are accused of sexually assaulting a victim, who police only identified as "John Doe," at their Huntington Beach home over of the period of a year, the Orange County District Attorney said in a statement.
The victim had allegedly been invited to the home several times to drink alcohol, eat, play board games and watch movies.
The sexual abuse began in April 2009 after the couple encouraged the victim to engage in sexual acts, the DA said. It continued on a weekly basis until this March when the victim told his mother. She contacted Westminster police who arrested the couple Wednesday.
Daniel Shepard allegedly met the victim at Westminster High School, where he worked and the victim was a student.
Both defendants face multiple felony counts including oral copulation and sodomy as well as misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Daniel Alma Shepard faces a maximum sentence of five years in state prison, Gay Davidson-Shepard faces a maximum of eight years and four months.
The victim turned 18 in December 2009 and the DA said the suspects could not be criminally charged for sexual conduct after that.
Both are being held on $150,000 bail and are scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
Police think there may be additional victims. Anyone with more information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact WPD Detective Michael Nguyen at (714) 548-3247 or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Lou Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.
