Educator from Loma Linda accused of sex acts with minor who attended J.W. North High in Riverside

A 26-year-old employee of the Riverside County Office of Education was arrested this week on suspicion of engaging in a  relationship with a minor that involved sex acts, authorities said Saturday, March 7.

John Torrez, of Loma Linda, was arrested by police Thursday after a female student at John W. North High School came forward to report a relationship between Torrez and a former student to a school resource officer, said Riverside Police Department spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback.

The officer learned Torrez had allegedly been in an ongoing relationship with the minor student for several months, Railsback said. The student had not attended the school during the current school year.

Torrez was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of two counts of oral copulation and has since been released on $100,000 bail, Railsback said.

A Career Technical Education instructor with the Office of Education, Torrez had been assigned to J.W. North High School since November 2018. He is also employed as an athletic trainer with Clover Enterprises, Railsback said.

RCOE officials in a statement said Torrez was immediately placed on administrative leave after they were notified of the investigation. An internal investigation was launched, officials said.

“Both the Riverside County Office of Education and the Riverside Unified School District are fully cooperating with law enforcement and take all allegations of staff misconduct very seriously,” the statement said.

Anyone with additional information was asked to contact School Resource Officer Nicholas Cantino at 951-826-5638. Anonymous tips can be made by email to rpdtips@riversideca.gov.

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