Riverside County teacher arrested for allegedly molesting one of her students

A Riverside County charter school teacher was arrested on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting one of her students, according to authorities. 

Samantha Josephine Watson, 41, of Eastvale, was booked at the Robert Presley Jail on Friday on suspicion of sending harmful material to a juvenile, oral copulation and digital penetration, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said that they were made aware of allegations of inappropriate contact with a student at a school in Moreno Valley on Jan. 28, 2026. While investigating the allegations, investigators learned that "during the timeframe of 2017 to 2018, the suspect ... was having inappropriate contact with a student while she was employed as a teacher."

While they did not explicitly name the school where Watson was a teacher, they said she was working at a charter school located in the 23000 block of Sunnymead Boulevard. An online search revealed that Options for Youth Public Charter Schools operates in the area. 

Watson was arrested when deputies served a search warrant at a home in the 14000 block of Silent Stream Court in Eastvale on Friday, the release said. 

"This is an ongoing investigation, and no additional details are available at this time," the release said. 

Deputies asked anyone who may know more or who believes they could also be a victim to contact Master Investigator D. Schell at 951-955-1074.