Dennis RomeroUpdate: City News Service says he pleaded not guilty today in court.
The L.A. County District Attorney made the case against girls' softball coach and Fremont High School teachers' aide Alain Salas official today.
The 40-year-old was charged with “three counts of lewd act upon a child and one count of contact with minor for sexual offense,” according a D.A.'s office statement, which notes that those are all felonies.
Salas was due in Compton Superior Court …
… for arraignment this afternoon.
$300,000 bail was being recommended by the D.A.'s office.
Fox 11 News reported that the aide was allegedly “grooming” a 15-year-old Fremont student for sex when he was arrested by the FBI's Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team Monday.
Salas.; Credit: MySpace
The station reported that it appeared the two had not yet had sex but that it appeared through Facebook messages that they had kissed and that Salas even said he had hickeys from their encounters.
In one message reported by Fox11 the girl says she wishes the two could make out on campus. In another she reportedly asks him, What happens if I get pregnant. Salas' response, according to the station:
“LOL … stress.”
His MySpace page features photos of girls at a homecoming event and of a girls' volleyball team, of which Salas was also reportedly a coach.
The aide's arrest represents the sixth case to come to light of an L.A. Unified School District staffer being accused of sex crimes with students. Read more here.
[Added at 12:25 p.m.]: An amended statement by the D.A.'s office seems to echo Fox 11 News' reporting on the allegations:
The alleged crimes, which occurred between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, 2011, involve a 15-year-old girl, according to the felony complaint.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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