A woman who allegedly engaged in sex acts with a 17-year-old male student while working as a campus aide at an Imperial Beach high school pleaded not guilty Friday to five felony counts.
Lisette Veles Ortega, 31, an employee of an outside contractor used by Mar Vista High School, was arrested Wednesday, two days after the alleged crimes were reported, according to authorities.
She faces up to five years in state prison if convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, oral copulation with a minor and attending an arranged illicit meeting with a minor.
The criminal complaint states the alleged crimes occurred in April and May of this year.
Ortega remains in custody on $250,000 bail, but a deputy public defender asked to revisit her bail status at a future date. If she’s released from custody, Ortega was ordered by a judge to stay away from the victim and, at the prosecution’s request, stay away from all schools. Deputy District Attorney Alex Willett also requested that she submit to law enforcement searches of her phone because that was the primary method used to contact the victim.
At the time, Ortega was working for a company called Ro Healthcare, sheriff’s Lt. Patrick Fox said. The company’s website states it is a medical staffing and home health agency that helps staff nurses at schools, correctional facilities and for private home care.
In a statement, the company said, “At Ro Health, safety is our top priority. It is our privilege to serve the medically fragile population, and we are committed to doing so with the highest degree of care. As such, we take these allegations extremely seriously. We are doing everything we can to investigate the issue and to respond appropriately.”
The statement also indicated its employee screening process includes background checks that utilize fingerprint clearance through the FBI and Department of Justice.
The Sweetwater Union High School District said in a statement that it was “aware of an investigation involving a contracted vendor and is fully cooperating with law enforcement throughout this process.”
City News Service contributed to this article.
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