A former Oxnard school staffer faces one year in county jail for felony luring for sending sexual messages to a 15-year-old student.
Miguel De Jesus Marquez, 25, pleaded guilty to the felony offense in Ventura County Superior Court on May 4, according to a Ventura County District Attorney’s Office news release.
He was previously charged with felonies for luring and sending harmful matter and pleaded not guilty to both counts on June 18, court records show.
The Oxnard Police Department began investigating Marquez after receiving a report from Children and Family Services.
Marquez was employed as a classroom helper assisting teachers by the Oxnard School District in August 2024 and had begun communicating via social media platform Snapchat and text with a 15-year-old girl, DA’s officials said. He worked at Marina West Elementary School, and the victim was a student at a different school in the district, authorities previously said.
The messages with the youth, whom he had previously known through a familial relationship outside of the school setting, became sexual, officials said. He had sent the victim nude images of himself and requested nude images of her as well.
Marquez was arrested at Marina West Elementary School on June 4, The Star previously reported. He was released on a $50,000 bond the next day, records show.
Marquez was placed on administrative leave at the time of his arrest, and school district officials alerted parents of the on-campus arrest through a June 5 district-wide message.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in court on June 10 where he faces one year in Ventura County jail and probation, the DA’s office said.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard school staffer pleads guilty to felony luring of 15-year-old
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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