Teacher had sex with student during school days, police say
Rancho girl brought to hotels twice while classes were in session
A Rancho High School teacher accused of having sex with a student took the girl to hotels twice during school hours, according to a North Las Vegas police arrest report.
The teacher also kissed and had sexual contact with the student in his classroom over a period of weeks, police said.
Jason Richard Lofthouse, 32, was arrested Thursday when the student admitted to her parents and police that she and the teacher had been involved in a sexual relationship. He was booked at the Clark County Detention Center.
Lofthouse faces charges that include four counts of sex acts by a school employee with a student between 16 and 17 years old, two counts of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of contributing to delinquency of a minor, jail booking logs show.
The girl told police that Lofthouse took her to the Aliante hotel May 20 and the Cannery hotel May 28.
School attendance records showed that Lofthouse missed class during those days and the student missed some classes.
Hotel logs showed that Lofthouse was checked in at Aliante on May 20, and still images from security cameras at the Cannery captured him kissing the student in an elevator on May 28 before heading to the room Lofthouse had rented.
Another student aware of the relationship between her friend and Lofthouse told another teacher, who contacted authorities, the police report said.
The girl on Wednesday was initially reluctant on giving the teacher or police the name of her friend but did eventually, adding that there were rumors last year that Lofthouse had sex with a student who has since graduated.
When police showed up to the school looking for the girl, they were told she wasn’t in class and that she was seen entering Lofthouse’s classroom, the report said. The door was locked and when police entered, they saw Lofthouse and the student “close to one another.”
The girl told police there were rumors in school that she and Lofthouse “had a thing going on,” but initially denied it.
Her parents called police that day to tell them that their daughter had admitted to the contact with Lofthouse, the report said. During an interview, the girl told detectives that she and Lofthouse began talking through Twitter and phone about January or February.
The student-teacher contact became physical about a week or two before the initial hotel visit, the report said. The girl would ditch class and spend time in Lofthouse’s classroom where they often kissed and twice engaged in sex acts.
During his arrest, Lofthouse told police “he was pretty sure he knew why he was under arrest,” according to the report.
Lofthouse has been employed with the Clark County School District since September 2010 and has taught at Rancho since then. The district is pursuing his dismissal, district spokeswoman Melinda Malone said. Contact Ricardo Torres at rtorres@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @rickytwrites