A former high school teacher in California is now in custody after being discovered in a teenage girl’s bedroom.
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Patrick John Mester, 65, faces two charges of attempting to arrange meetings with a minor for inappropriate purposes and committing lewd acts with a minor aged 14 or 15, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office per Law & Crime.
Mester was arrested in 2021, which led to the immediate loss of his position as a teacher at James C. Enochs High School in Modesto, a city located approximately 80 miles west of Oakland.
However, the defendant was just criminally charged late last month.
On October 23rd, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Special Victim’s Unit arrested the former band teacher again for “lewd and lascivious acts against a minor,” per a press release.
In March 2021, Mester was briefly detained by the Modesto Police Department on suspicion of annoying or molesting a child under 18. Bail was set at $5,000, and Mester was subsequently released.
At that time, he was under suspicion for having an inappropriate relationship or communication with a student, as reported by The Modesto Bee. Authorities identified the student involved as a 16-year-old girl.
The incident led to Mester getting ousted from his teaching position.
A Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Said the Case Against the Teacher Was ‘Carefully Built’ with Help From the Teen
The defendant had been employed by the school district since 2003. He started as a music teacher at a different high school before dividing his responsibilities between the two institutions. In 2008, he transitioned to Enochs High School. Officials reported that he successfully passed all relevant background checks and participated in regular training on child abuse and harassment.
Following his release on the relatively minor charge, Mester reportedly attempted to contact the then-16-year-old girl once more.
“In October 2021, a second investigation was initiated by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office. This was after Mester was discovered in that same student’s bedroom by the student’s mother,” the sheriff’s office explained. “Several interviews were conducted with the victim after the incident. Since then, the Sheriff’s Office has been working with the District Attorney’s Office.”
Following Mester’s second arrest, the girl at the heart of the case has been assisting authorities with “active and ongoing investigations,” according to a spokesperson from the sheriff’s office, as reported by SFGate.
“Serious cases like this need to be carefully built over time,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, Mester is currently being held with a bail set at $650,000.