California Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Developmentally Disabled Student, Charged With Rape And Sodomy
Concord, California school teacher, Daniel Gonzalez, was arrested last week on suspicion of having sexual relations with a developmentally disabled adult student. He faces multiple felony counts related to the case.
Gonzalez, 55, a teacher at the Loma Vista Adult Center, is being detained at the Martinez Detention Facility on bond, according to the East Bay Times. He is charged with 23 felony counts including forcible oral copulation of a developmentally disabled adult student, rape, and sodomy.
The alleged victim is being referred to as “Jane Doe” and court records indicate Gonzalez began having sex with the adult student in October and stopped doing so in December, according to the East Bay Times.
Authorities received a report about the alleged behavior on December 7 from the adult center, reported NBC 4 News. Police began an investigation and subsequently, Gonzalez was placed on administrative leave from his teaching position.
The adult center teaches independent living skills to students, reported the East Bay Times, and the alleged student victim was enrolled in the program.
The adult center student who Gonzalez is accused of having sex with is not a minor and is considered an adult of consenting age, but only has the mental and intellectual capacity of a young teenager. Thus, authorities say the student was unable to consent to sex with the teacher, according to NBC 4 News.
As such, Gonzalez is accused of violating a California statute that states it is unlawful to engage in sexual activity with a person who is not capable of giving consent due to a mental or developmental disability, reports SF Gate.
Daniel Gonzalez, 55, @MtDiabloUSD Loma Vista adult ed teacher, arrested by @ConcordPD in rape of developmentally disabled adult student pic.twitter.com/lvJQcE7SuY
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) December 22, 2017
Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s Adult Education Department employed Gonzalez, who reportedly earned benefits and a salary of $95,815.40 in 2016, according to the East Bay Times. The media outlet noted that this information was garnered from a California website that publishes the salaries of public employees.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Paul Graves said Gonzalez had committed a “violation of trust” as someone who was in a “position of authority” over a “dependent adult.” Graves emphasized that much more should be expected from educators who “have the privilege of educating” young people.
Authorities are attempting to determine if there are any other victims related to the Daniel Gonzalez case. They are asking anyone with information about the teacher to call the Concord Police Department Special Victims Unit at 925-671-3020.
