EspañolRiverside County Coach Jesse Lopez (Full Name: Jesse Gonsalez Lopez) Arrested For Alleged Inappropriate Contact With Students
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (October 14, 2024) – A Riverside County coach identified as Jesse Lopez was arrested and placed on administrative leave after child sexual abuse allegations.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said that the suspect was taken into custody in Perris. In August of 2024, the Sheriff’s Department investigated claims that Jesse Lopez had “inappropriate contact with students.”
He has since been charged with child annoyance, sexual battery, and lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. No further details have been released at this time.
Jesse Lopez has since been booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center.
Liability For Riverside High School Sexual Abuse
School sexual abuse remains alarmingly common in the United States. A large portion of the sexual abuse that takes place in a school setting involves coaches. According to a new report by the Guardian, “in some cases, coaches and instructors have exploited children’s vulnerabilities and the physical contact sport enables in order to groom and abuse them.” Coaches are often required to touch student-athletes during physical maneuvers. About a fifth of educators accused of sexual abuse were coaches. Schools should take a number of measures in order to prevent sexual abuse.
- All school employees should undergo background checks.
- Schools should create and enforce clear codes of conduct related to sexual harassment.
- All suspicious behavior should be reported and investigated.
Pursuant to California Penal Code 288, it is a crime for a person to commit any lewd or lascivious act on a child under 16 years of age. This includes touching a child’s body for sexual purposes. It is not necessary for the touching to be on bare skin. It is particularly disturbing when a school employee abuses children, because they have a position of trust within the community. When a school fails to properly monitor the children in their care who are then abused, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. It is important that certain steps are taken after any instance of school sexual abuse.
- A police report should be created.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records related to the incident should be preserved.
- An experienced sexual abuse attorney should be contacted.
Sexual abuse is often highly preventable in a school setting. Indeed, by the time any teacher or coach is arrested for sexual abuse, there are often dozens of red flags that were missed. Teachers are mandated reporters and must report all reasonably suspected instances of abuse. But far too often, this does not take place. To make matters worse, schools will often do everything in their power to deny responsibility when a child is abused in their care. It is important for victims and their families to understand that they do have rights. Any person sexually abused by a school teacher may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.
Investigating Riverside County School Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP were deeply concerned to hear about the allegations against Jesse Lopez. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong.
Have you or someone that you care about been impacted by teacher sexual abuse in Riverside County? Our team of school sexual abuse attorneys is here for you. We care deeply that victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
