A former La Mesa teacher who had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student was sentenced Thursday in San Diego Superior Court to three years in prison.
Michael Davis, 34, who taught at The Learning Choice Academy in La Mesa, had pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual intercourse with a minor in which the perpetrator is more than three years older than the minor. In addition to his time behind bars, he was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
Davis was arrested soon after his then-wife found text messages on his phone between him and the girl in the case, the ex-wife said after the sentencing hearing. She reported the messages to the police.
San Diego police later arrested him on April 8, and he was released on $50,000 bail.
Davis’ attorney, Erik Friis, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. In court documents filed last year, the attorney said the alleged sexual activity was consensual and that Davis has no prior criminal record.
A spokesperson for The Learning Choice Academy previously said that the school — which is a hybrid homeschooling program with a location in La Mesa — had learned of the allegations on the day of Davis’ arrest. He was put on administrative leave at the time.
The spokesperson said they had never received any complaints or suspicions of child abuse or boundary violations by the teacher.
“Every day, parents and students trust our schools to keep kids safe,” Deputy District Attorney Vanessa Gerard said after the sentencing. “So when a teacher in a position of authority engages in a sexual relationship with a student, it’s a betrayal of the public’s trust.”