ASU student teacher accused of sexual contact with Tempe teen
A student teacher at Tempe High School has been arrested and accused of having sexual contact with a 16-year-old student.
Authorities say Joel Calderon, 26, an aspiring high-school math teacher, “friended” the teenage girl on Facebook, where he spoke with her.
Calderon is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and had been teaching at Tempe High since August as part of his studies. It was unclear if the teenager was a student of Calderon’s.
In a statement issued Monday, Tempe police said the physical relationship between Calderon and the underage girl took place between Nov. 1 and Nov. 10.
Another student alerted Tempe High administrators to the possible relationship, and school officials contacted authorities.
In an interview with school officials, Calderon downplayed the extent of sexual con- tact he had with the underage girl but said she spent the night at his home on two separate occasions, according to court records. After his arrest on Nov. 26, Calderon admitted having further sexual contact with the teen when police confronted him with the victim’s account of events, court records show.
The teenager told police she consented to these acts, according to court records, but state law says the right to consent to sexual relationships does not occur until age 18.
The Tempe Unified School District does not prohibit outside social-media contact between students and teachers, but it is subject to professional standards set by the district.
Court records show Calderon “friended” other Tempe High students during his teaching assignment and “made several references to how ‘inappropriate’ it was for him to con- tact students outside of class” but noted that he “would not be considered a teacher because he was not employed by the high school.”
Calderon faces six counts of sexual conduct with a minor, which is considered a felony.
Police say that all charges are related to the same female victim but that the investigation is ongoing and the possibility exists for additional charges.
Arizona State University requires all students applying for a student-teaching position to obtain a fingerprint clearance card from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Sexual conduct with a minor is among the criminal offenses precluding a person from obtaining a fingerprint clearance card, according to state law.
University officials say Calderon’s future at the school will be determined by the results of an administrative investigation.
Attempts to reach Calderon on Monday were unsuccessful.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Tempe Police Department at 480-350-8311.