Teh One Who Knocks
01-21-2013, 02:04 PM
Written by Colin Atagi - The Desert Sun
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PALM SPRINGS — A Palm Springs High School teacher suspected of trying to seduce one of his students using text messages was freed on bail today.
Ronald Bishop, 40, was arrested without incident at 3:12 p.m. Thursday in a school parking lot on suspicion of trying to seduce a student, according to Palm Springs police.
Bishop was arrested on suspicion of felony contact or communication with a minor to commit an offense, police said.
He was booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and was released today on a $150,000 bond. He was expected to be arraigned March 15 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to jail records.
Investigators learned on Monday that a 15-year-old boy had been communicating with the suspect via text messaging over the past two months.
The messages included “harmful matter that Bishop is suspected of sending in an attempt to seduce the minor,” according to police.
The boy and his parents reported the incidents to police, Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.
Authorities searched Bishop’s Indio home, vehicle and cell phone, but they did not say if they found any additional evidence against the suspect.
Police are working with Palm Springs Unified School District officials and are not releasing additional details.
In an email, district spokeswoman Joan Boiko said “Mr. Bishop is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. We cannot comment any further, as this is a personnel matter.”
She added Bishop has been teaching at the high school for seven or eight years and previously taught at Nellie N. Coffman Middle School in Cathedral City for a few years prior.
http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/8033/83210495.jpg
PALM SPRINGS — A Palm Springs High School teacher suspected of trying to seduce one of his students using text messages was freed on bail today.
Ronald Bishop, 40, was arrested without incident at 3:12 p.m. Thursday in a school parking lot on suspicion of trying to seduce a student, according to Palm Springs police.
Bishop was arrested on suspicion of felony contact or communication with a minor to commit an offense, police said.
He was booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and was released today on a $150,000 bond. He was expected to be arraigned March 15 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to jail records.
Investigators learned on Monday that a 15-year-old boy had been communicating with the suspect via text messaging over the past two months.
The messages included “harmful matter that Bishop is suspected of sending in an attempt to seduce the minor,” according to police.
The boy and his parents reported the incidents to police, Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.
Authorities searched Bishop’s Indio home, vehicle and cell phone, but they did not say if they found any additional evidence against the suspect.
Police are working with Palm Springs Unified School District officials and are not releasing additional details.
In an email, district spokeswoman Joan Boiko said “Mr. Bishop is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. We cannot comment any further, as this is a personnel matter.”
She added Bishop has been teaching at the high school for seven or eight years and previously taught at Nellie N. Coffman Middle School in Cathedral City for a few years prior.