Former Indio school security guard pleads guilty to sending inappropriate texts to student
A former middle school security guard who sent inappropriate text messages to a student pleaded guilty today to felony and misdemeanor charges.
James Arthur Campbell, a former guard at Indio’s Desert Ridge Academy, is slated to be sentenced Dec. 4 for sending inappropriate messages to the student, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents.
Campbell, 46, of Bermuda Dunes, was arrested in March and later charged with a felony count of sending harmful material to a child, as well as two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance and sending annoying or harassing phone calls.
Desert Sands Unified School District officials “immediately” placed Campbell on leave after discovering the texts, according to DSUSD spokeswoman Mary Perry, who said the district was cooperating with the Indio Police Department and Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in the investigation. He remained on leave until April 6, 2018, when he tendered his resignation.
The charges against Campbell were filed two weeks after a music teacher at the same school was arrested for alleged sexual contact with one of his female students.
Ruben Jesse Flores, 30, of Indio, was arrested in April and later charged with 14 felony counts, including lewd acts with a child, sexual penetration with a foreign object, and oral copulation with a minor.
Indio Sgt. Daniel Marshall said the mother of the alleged victim, who is one of Flores’ music students, found “suggestive texts on her daughter’s cell phone and notified police,” who subsequently obtained statements from both the suspect and the girl “regarding several incidents of unlawful sexual contact.”
Flores is out of custody on $55,000 bail and due back in court Nov. 16 for a felony settlement conference.
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