A former educator from California is currently detained after being found in a minor’s bedroom, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office. Patrick John Mester, 65, is facing two counts each of intending to meet a minor for indecent purposes and engaging in inappropriate acts with a minor aged 14 or 15.
Mester was first arrested in 2021, which resulted in his immediate termination from his teaching role at James C. Enochs High School in Modesto, a city roughly 80 miles west of Oakland. The criminal investigation, however, was lengthy and complex.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Special Victim’s Unit arrested the former band teacher again on Wednesday for “indecent and obscene acts against a minor,” as stated in an official press release. In March 2021, Mester was briefly held by the Modesto Police Department on suspicion of harassing or molesting a child under 18. He was later released after posting a $5,000 bail.
At that point, Mester was suspected of having an inappropriate relationship or communication with a student, identified as a 16-year-old girl by local media. The details surrounding this incident were scarce, but the allegations alone led to his dismissal.
Modesto City Schools, in a statement, said they acted swiftly to prevent Mester from having any contact with students and banned him from visiting their facilities. This directive will stay in place as the criminal case continues. Mester had been employed by the school district since 2003, initially as a music teacher at a different high school. He later split his time between two schools before moving to Enochs in 2008. He had passed all required background checks and regularly received training on child abuse and harassment.
However, after his release on the initial charge, Mester allegedly sought out the same 16-year-old girl. In October 2021, a second investigation was initiated by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office after Mester was discovered in the girl’s bedroom by her mother. The Sheriff’s Office has been collaborating with the District Attorney’s Office since then, conducting several interviews with the victim.
Since Mester’s second arrest, the girl has been aiding authorities with their ongoing investigations. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office stated that serious cases like this necessitate careful and time-consuming investigation. Mester is currently being held on a $650,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 30.