Former band teacher caught in teenager’s bedroom

Former teacher in California According to reports, he was arrested after he was found in the teenager’s bedroom after being fired from his job for communicating with her.

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office records show that after a three-year investigation, Patrick John Mester (65) was charged with two counts of arranging meetings with minors for lewd purposes and lewd acts with a minor.

In a news release, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said Mester was arrested on Oct. 23 and that the investigation into the case “has been ongoing since 2021.”

Mester was arrested in March of this year and lost his job as a band teacher at James C. Enochs High School in Modesto after police arrested him for inappropriate communication with a student, a 16-year-old girl.

A second investigation was opened by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office in October 2021 after the mother found Mester in the girl’s bedroom.

Following his March 2021 arrest, bail was set at $5,000 and Mester was released.

Modesto City Schools said at the time that it “took immediate action to ensure he has zero contact with students and has revoked his authority to visit our facilities. This directive will continue to apply while the criminal case continues.”

Mester has worked in the school district for more than two decades, since 2003. He was initially a music teacher at another high school before working at both schools. In 2008, he started working full-time at Enochs.

Officials said Modesto Bee that Mester passed a background check and regularly attended child molestation and abuse training.

However, it is alleged that Mester tried to contact the 16-year-old again after his initial release.

The three-year investigation, which included several interviews with the victim, led to the charges and Mester’s arrest Wednesday.

the sheriff’s office said SF Gate that the three years between the original arrest and charges were due to an “active and ongoing investigation involving our victim.”

“Such serious cases must be carefully managed over time,” the office told the facility.

According to arrest records, Mester, a native of Michigan, is currently being held at the Modesto Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court on October 30. Bail is set at $650,000.