LAS VEGAS — A former teacher at a Las Vegas private school is accused of grooming a student and forcing her to perform sexual acts on him.
David Wayne Pendley, 46, was arrested Monday and booked on six charges of a school employee engaging in sexual conduct with a student older than 16, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
According to court documents, Pendley told the student, who is now a graduate of Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, that he was engaging in the activity because he loved her and because “God made him that way,” KLAS-TV reported.
The victim reported to police on Dec. 20, 2021, that she had been sexually assaulted by a teacher at Faith Lutheran while she was a senior three years earlier, according to the television station.
According to court documents, Pendley encouraged the victim to join him on the school’s trip to Mexico in 2017, which was normally reserved for students in grades eight through 10, the Review-Journal reported.
The victim said that after the trip, Pendley hugged and whispered, “I love you.”
Later in the school year, Pendley allegedly asked the victim to watch his dog while he was on a cruise with his wife, according to the newspaper. When the victim went to the home, Pendley allegedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him, the Review-Journal reported.
Pendley also performed sexual acts on the victim, telling her he was not cheating on his wife if he did not rape her, the girl told police.
Pendley was hired by the school in 2015 and was terminated five years later for consuming alcohol on school premises, KLAS reported.
School administration officials “immediately notified the authorities and have fully cooperated with the investigation,” a spokesperson told KNTV.
“Faith Lutheran takes every allegation seriously, and we strive to provide a safe and supportive environment for our students,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to cooperate with this investigation and provide support to our former student.”
Pendley originally told police that he would be interviewed when they contacted him in April, but he missed the meeting, KLAS reported. An attorney then called detectives saying that Pendley was not going to give a statement.
Pendley was released after posting bail and will appear in court next month, according to the television station.