A Seattle high school teacher was charged Thursday after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a student.
Pawares Pathompornvivat, 32, was charged with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree and one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
According to court documents, police responded to Franklin High School on Feb. 17 after a 16-year-old student reported that she was having a “consensual sexual relationship” with a teacher. The relationship allegedly began Feb. 2.
The student told police that she and Pathompornvivat had inappropriate contact five times and sent over 3,000 text messages to each other, including sexually explicit content.
“The defendant abused his position of trust and authority as a Seattle Public School high school teacher by having sexual intercourse on multiple occasions with a student in various places around the city of Seattle including the student’s home,” prosecutors said.
Court documents state that when Pathompornvivat learned that the teenager had reported the sexual abuse, he wanted her to call him so they could “get our stories straight.”
Pathompornvivat then told her that he had previously had a sexual relationship with another student. Whether there are additional victims of Pathompornvivat’s remains under investigation.
Pathompornvivat’s bail was set at $100,000. He is scheduled for arraignment on March 9.