Bullard High School teacher arrested for sex crimes involving student, Fresno police say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Bullard High School teacher has been arrested on multiple sex crime charges involving a minor.

Fresno police took 37-year-old Ray Waller into custody on Thursday.

Authorities say the incidents involve a student at Bullard.

Waller was booked into the Fresno County jail on ten charges, including unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, use of a minor to sell/produce pornography, distributing/showing pornography to a minor, and lewd and lascivious acts with a juvenile aged 14 or 15.

Waller has been working in the Fresno Unified School District for less than a year.

"Nobody ever wants to see this go down but unfortunately it did. Rest assured that here at the Fresno Police Department, we're investigating this fully and working with the district attorney's office to ensure the maximum penalty," said Fresno police spokesman Luke Tran.

Tran says the incident involved one student but investigators believe there may be more victims.

Action News has learned the suspect is a photographer.

"I'm disappointed because we trust staff and teachers to make sure our students are safe and everything. You don't really expect that kind of behavior from a teacher," said Ruben Pineda, a parent.

The news of what Waller is suspected of doing with an underage student at Bullard High School has shocked parents and students on campus.

"It's like really grossed out, to be honest. It's like really disgusting," said 18-year-old Karianna Fletcher, a senior at Bullard.

She says it now makes her a little uncomfortable to trust teachers.

"My friend has him and she says that he used to like, fix her hair. She'll walk in and he'll be like 'Oh, you look nice'," said Fletcher.

Fletcher hopes the school district will make better choices when it comes to hiring staff and faculty.

The Fresno Unified District sent Action News a statement about Waller's arrest, writing:

We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent arrest of a Fresno Unified School District employee following serious allegations involving a student at Bullard High School. The employee was immediately placed on leave as soon as we were made aware of the investigation.
Our primary concern is, and always will be, the safety and well-being of our students. We are providing social-emotional support to all students and staff affected by this situation. We want to assure our families and community that we are fully cooperating with law enforcement during this ongoing investigation. Our hearts go out to the survivor and anyone else impacted by this tragic situation. We stand united in prioritizing the protection of our children and fostering a safe, supportive environment for every student. If you have any information related to this case, we encourage you to contact the Fresno Police Department directly. Please reach out to Detective Nguyen at 559-621-2471 or Detective Flores at 559-621-2438. Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time.

The district says it is cooperating with Police as this investigation continues.

Officials add that support is being offered to students during this difficult time.

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