More than a year after a California teacher’s aid was arrested on suspicion of having sex with a 16-year-old special needs student, details of her alleged behavior were made public in courtroom testimony this week.
According to the Fresno Bee, one witness was a detective who testified 36-year-old Theresa Ramirez plied the high school junior with alcohol and marijuana before attempting to have sex with him.
When the victim still rebuffed her advances, Fresno Police Detective Derek Avila said, she gave him $300.
The student reportedly told police that he had sex with Ramirez at her apartment on multiple occasions.
Avila testified that Ramirez occasionally gave the boy a ride to her residence, while other times he would arrive on his own — often with friends.
Once inside, the student said Ramirez allegedly made alcohol and marijuana available. When his friends joined him, they would drink and smoke while he had sex with her, according to Avila.
Prosecutors said during Friday’s hearing that Ramirez and the teen first had sex in 2015, when he was 16.
The defense attempted to poke holes in the detective’s narrative. Jane Boulger, the attorney representing Ramirez, noted that there were three other people living in the apartment at the time and prompted Avila to acknowledge a roommate and a friend of the teen said they did not see any inappropriate behavior while in the home.
Furthermore, Judge John Vogt heard testimony that the alleged victim initially denied having sex with Ramirez.
Nevertheless, Vogt found probable cause to take the case to trial.
Ramirez faces multiple charges, including three felony counts of unlawful sex with a minor and one felony count of oral copulation. She could be sentenced to a five-year prison sentence and be required to register as a sex offender.
For now, she is out of jail on $45,500 bail.
[Featured image: Fresno Police Department]