FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – A Central High West chemistry teacher is accused of sexting a student.
On Tuesday, Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Sex Crimes Unit arrested 31-year-old Fabian Botero of Clovis.
Earlier in the day, school administrators received a report of inappropriate behavior taking place between Botero and a student.
The person said Botero had exchanged several sexually graphic messages with a 15-year-old girl through emails, text messages and voice calls.
The school contacted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and a detective interviewed Botero, who admitted to the inappropriate behavior.
The Sheriff”s Office says Botero and the girl exchanged email addresses in September 2018, and began communicating on a regular basis.
Botero initiated conversations that were sexual in nature, and later they exchanged phone numbers.
Detectives say Botero continued to make sexual advances toward the girl through texts and phone calls.
After January 2019, they quit communicating for unknown reasons.
As of now, the Sheriff’s Office says there’s no evidence to show Botero and the student engaged in any physical activity.
This remains an ongoing investigation.
- This is the first Fabian Botero had taught at a Fresno area school.
- His prior five years of teaching all took place in Southern California.
Central Unified School District has released the following statement.
“Effective immediately, Mr. Botero is no longer an employee with Central Unified School District. His arrest, based on the felony charge, is deeply disturbing. All interactions between staff and students should have the highest standards of professionalism and boundaries. The behavior that led to these charges is absolutely unacceptable for anyone, especially an educator. Student safety is a top priority for the district and as such, we are fully cooperating with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and will continue to do so throughout the course of its investigation. We’re taking measures to ensure classes aren’t disrupted and additional support staff and counselors will be on campus for students and staff. We appreciate the swift action of our high school administrators who immediately contacted law enforcement as soon as the allegations surfaced this morning. We’re also grateful for our partnership with the Fresno County Sheriff.”
There is a possibility that there are other victims out there who have not reported Botero’s behavior.
Contact Detective Jesse Gloria at (559) 600-8217 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867), www.valleycrimestoppers.org
The Sheriff’s Office reminds parents to be vigilant when it comes to monitoring kids’ phone, email and social media usage. Educate yourself on what software apps they are using. Keep an open line of communication with your son or daughter so you can stay aware of challenges they are facing and identify any sudden changes in their mood. If you learn of any suspicious behavior, report it right away to law enforcement.
