Teacher fired for ‘inappropriate’ chats with pupil, 16, is charged after being found in same girl’s room: cops

A California precocious schoolhouse coach who was fired for “inappropriate communication” pinch an underage pupil has been arrested aft he was caught successful nan aforesaid girl’s bedroom, according to cops.

Patrick John Mester, 65, was fired by Enochs High School successful March 2021 aft he was arrested for “inappropriate communication” pinch nan girl, who was 16 astatine nan time, according to nan Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, which did not item nan alleged messages.

The set coach was released connected $5,000 bail — conscionable to beryllium caught 7 months later “in that aforesaid student’s chamber by nan student’s mother,” nan sheriff’s agency said.

Patrick John Mester was arrested Wednesday aft a three-year-long investigation. Modesto Police Department

Mester was yet arrested again past Wednesday, 3 years aft he was allegedly caught creeping successful nan girl’s room. The lengthy investigation had been “trailing since 2021,” pinch nan apprehension pursuing “several interviews” pinch nan girl, nan sheriff’s agency said.

“Serious cases for illustration this request to beryllium cautiously built complete time,” nan sheriff’s agency told SFGate, defending nan agelong hold for Mester’s apprehension and charges.

The fired coach was charged pinch 2 counts of lewd acts pinch a insignificant and 2 counts of attempting to meet pinch a insignificant for lewd purposes.

Mester had worked for nan schoolhouse territory since 2003 and worked astatine 2 different precocious schools arsenic a euphony coach complete nan people of his tenure until staying full-time astatine Enochs High successful 2008, according to nan Modesto Bee.

At nan clip of his original arrest, Modesto City Schools said they “took contiguous action to guarantee he has zero interaction pinch students, arsenic good arsenic revoked his correct to sojourn our facilities. This directive will proceed to beryllium successful spot arsenic nan criminal matter proceeds,” successful a property statement.

Enochs High School has been nether occurrence complete nan years for different instances of teachers having inappropriate relationships pinch minors. Google Maps

Mester completed each pre-employment requirements, including fingerprint clearance and inheritance checks, moreover receiving yearly training connected harassment and kid maltreatment reporting while he was a teacher, nan territory said.

The schoolhouse has been nether occurrence for respective instances of inappropriate behaviour betwixt teachers and minors complete nan years.

In 2012, a erstwhile teacher, James Hooker, 41, was arrested aft a erstwhile student astatine a different schoolhouse alleged he had had intersexual interaction pinch her 14 years anterior erstwhile she was 17.

Hooker had conscionable moved successful pinch different erstwhile 18-year-old Enoch’s student, Jamie Powers, astatine nan clip of his arrest, according to NBC.

In 2023, Bryan Rogers, a societal studies coach astatine nan schoolhouse since 2012, was accused of annoying aliases molesting a minor, though it was not clear if nan unfortunate was a student, according to KOVR-TV.

Mester is being held successful a Modesto detention halfway and will look successful tribunal connected October 30th. His bail has been group astatine $650,000, tribunal records show.