An Antioch middle school teacher accused of molesting an eighth-grade boy and possessing child pornography is scheduled to be in court Thursday for an arraignment.
Charles Redmond, a 63-year-old Pittsburg resident, has been charged with one felony count of committing a lewd act on a child, possession of child pornography, and four misdemeanor counts of annoying or molesting a child for allegedly saying inappropriate things to several boys, Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Jon Yamaguchi said.
According to police, Redmond allegedly touched a boy over his clothing at Park Middle School in Antioch on March 24.
The boy told his parents about the incident when he got home, and his parents reported it to police that evening, police Lt. Leonard Orman said.
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Detectives also learned that Redmond allegedly made inappropriate comments to other male students at the school, Orman said.
The school was notified of the allegations the next morning, Park Middle School Principal Didi Del Chiaro said.
She said Redmond, who taught art and had worked for the school since 1984, did not show up at the school that day. He has since been placed on administrative leave.
After detectives began investigating the case, Redmond allegedly fled to Mexico, police said.
A $100,000 warrant was issued for his arrest.
On March 28, police learned that Redmond had crossed back over the U.S. border from Mexico and had been admitted to a hospital in San Diego, police said.
Antioch detectives went to San Diego to interview him and arranged for police there to arrest him when he was released from the hospital, police said.
He was arrested later that week and extradited to Contra Costa County.
He was in court April 7 for an initial arraignment but did not enter a plea, Yamaguchi said. He is scheduled to return to Contra Costa County Superior Court in Pittsburg to be assigned an attorney and enter a plea on Thursday.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detective Robert Green at (925) 779-6932.
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