A San Diego High School special education teacher pleaded not guilty to sex crimes involving a 15-year-old student in court Wednesday.
Juan Carlos Herrera, 49, faces multiple felony charges, including lewd and lascivious conduct, oral copulation, two counts of sex with a minor, attempted sodomy with a person under 18, and luring a minor for a sex offense.
In court, Herrera said he wanted to represent himself in the trial.
The investigation was launched when the victim's mother called police reporting inappropriate text messages on her daughter's phone.
The girl and the teacher became involved in a sexual relationship when the victim was 15, according to San Diego investigators.
At this time, it is not clear if the victim was a student of Herrera’s.
Herrera’s bail was set at $1 million.
San Diego High School Principal Francisca Del Carmen-Aguilar sent a letter to parents following the arrest. In it, she said, “Please rest assured that we are doing everything possible to continue our focus on your student’s education while supporting them during this difficult situation.”
Parents were advised to contact fdelcarmen@sandi.net or call the district’s Quality Assurance at 619-725-7211, SDPD’s Sex Crimes Unit at (619) 531-2210, or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477 if they have any concerns or questions.
