Visalia teacher arrested for molesting 13-year-old student pleads not guilty
Police say the teacher at Saint Paul's School has been sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl over the past few months.
VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Visalia teacher is now facing eight criminal counts involving the alleged sexual abuse of a minor.
Authorities say 41-year-old Jeremy Hanson preyed on a thirteen-year-old student for months.
On Monday, Hanson plead not guilty to 8 different charges related to sexual abuse of a child.
Visalia Police say the victim was one of his students at St. Paul's School in Visalia.
School officials said in a statement Hanson would not be returning to the campus, where he worked since 2019.
On Monday, we also confirmed Hanson taught English at Tulare Union High School from 2017 to 2019.
"We do request that anybody who may know anything about any other potential victims or if you have been a victim yourself to contact us at the police department," said Visalia Police Lt. Verissmo.
Verissimo says if your kids have access to electronics, you need to be aware of who they're talking to and how.
"First of all talk to your kids. Communication is the most important. If your kids have phones, check your kid's phones, I can't stress that enough. Look at their social media apps."
Parents should be checking their children's apps like Snapchat, WhatsApp, and others where messages are only temporary or can be easily deleted.
If you are checking your child's phone, Verissimo says you need to be doing it routinely because kids may not be offering up who they're talking to right away.
"A lot of these cases they're groomed by the teachers. It's a gradual trust building that's developed between them until eventually it crosses the line into an illegal and inappropriate relationship."
Verissimo couldn't say if Hanson communicated with the student electronically.
Hanson is being held in jail on a bond of $300,000.
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