Irvine Teacher Charged With Texting Nude Photos To 15-Year-Old Student

NEWPORT BEACH (CBS) — An Irvine high school English teacher was charged Friday with texting nude pictures of himself to a 15-year-old student and arranging to meet her for sex.

Dominic John Augustus Witter, 25, of Laguna Niguel, allegedly sent text messages to the student early last month and asked her to send him nude pictures of herself, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

He was free on $100,000 bail and was expected to be arraigned May 25.

Witter, a teacher at Crean Lutheran High School, was charged with felony counts of attempted contact with a child with intent to commit lewd acts and meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of arranging to meet a minor for lewd purposes. He faces four years and eight months in prison if convicted and would have to register as a sex offender for life.

According to the District Attorney's Office, Witter send the female student nude photos of himself on April 4, and asked her to reciprocate. He allegedly texted the girl again the next day and arranged to meet her at a restaurant that night, intending to take her home with him.

Witter was arrested April 5 at a pizza restaurant in Laguna Hills in a sting that was organized by the Orange County Child Exploitation Task and included Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security agents, as well as sheriff's deputies and Irvine police, according to ICE spokeswoman
Virginia Kice.

Prosecutors said there could be other victims, and asked anyone who believes they may have been targeted to contact investigator Lou Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.

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