(KMJ) – A Fresno Unified School District teacher has pleaded not guilty to dozens of criminal charges for allegedly having sex with one of his students.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office filed 37 felony counts against 46-year old Darren Klassen, including charges of lewd act upon a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, oral copulation of a person under the age of 18, and unlawful sexual penetration of a victim under age.
His bail is set at $860,000 dollars, and a protective order has been issued for the 17 year old victim.
The Fresno High School English teacher is in custody after being arrested September 24th.
According to detectives – the 17-year-old girl reported the relationship with her teacher to her parents, after trying to break it off.
She began having an affair with Klassen when she was 15 years old, and it escalated to sex with the teacher three to five days a week — during the 2014-15 school year.
Detectives say the teen said the sex took place in his classroom — or inside a house.
Fresno Unified has placed Klassen on administrative leave.
