Ex-Kansas teacher convicted after being accused of sexual relations with a student
A former Kansas high school teacher has pleaded no contest after being accused of having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl in his classroom.
Jose Espinoza, 48, was charged in April with one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy, according to a criminal complaint filed on April 30.
He pleaded no contest Friday to the aggravated indecent liberties with a child charge. In return, prosecutors dismissed the aggravated criminal sodomy charge, a plea agreement filed on Monday shows.
The Canton-Galva school district, where Espinoza reportedly taught, did not respond to an inquiry into Espinoza’s employment dates, location or what subject he taught. The district is just east of McPherson.
On April 24, Canton-Galva High School principal Jesse Vincent called Canton Police Chief Mark Bennett about an incident in which a 14-year-old student reported having oral sex with Espinoza in his classroom, a redacted affidavit shows.
The student reported going into Espinoza’s classroom to get a computer. The teen then said she and Espinoza went into a back room, that he pushed her into a couch and had sexual relations, the affidavit said.
During the incident, the student told investigators that Espinoza told her “she was going to get him in trouble,” according to court documents.
What the former teacher told investigators
Espinoza was interviewed on April 29. He told investigators he had run into the student in the hallway. She needed to borrow a computer and they went inside the classroom.
Espinoza accused the student of brushing against him and kissing him inside his classroom. He told her to stop but she continued, the affidavit said.
During the incident, he kept telling the student “you’re going to get me in trouble and I’m going to go to jail.” He insisted to investigators that she came on to him.
Espinoza told investigators he did not want to do a DNA test. Authorities informed him they had a search warrant for his DNA and that they had collected clothing the student was wearing that day and other evidence from the girl’s bathroom at the school.
Espinoza was arrested, though it is unknown if after being questioned by investigators or sometime later.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14. Based on his felony conviction, he could be sentenced to anywhere from 55 to 247 months in prison with lifetime post-release supervision, court records show.
He also must register as a sex offender for life.
