A Mt. Carmel High School teacher has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a student in a relationship that stretched for more than two years, San Diego police said Thursday.
Stacy Michelle Walker, 40, turned herself in and was booked into custody Wednesday night in lieu of more than $400,000 bail, jail records indicate. She was arrested on suspicion of 17 felony counts, all of which are sex crimes, including luring a minor.
She is slated to be arraigned Friday in San Diego Superior Court. The name of her attorney was not immediately available.
San Diego police issued a statement alleging that “the assault took place over a sustained period from 2017 to 2019.”
Police said Walker began having sexually charged conversations with the female student when the girl was 15 years old, and that progressed into sharing photos, videos and explicit text messages.
Police allege the teacher met with the victim several times and engaged in sex acts, and that the incidents continued until after the victim turned 18.
Asked if any of the alleged incidents happened on campus, police Lt. Dan Sayasane cited the ongoing investigation and said the incidents “occurred at varying locations.”
The student came forward to San Diego police on July 31, and police said the sex crimes unit immediately began investigating the allegations.
Poway Unified School District spokesperson Christine Paik said police notified the school district of the allegations and investigation in August. At that point, Paik said, the district placed Walker on leave and launched an internal investigation.
In a message to parents, Mt. Carmel Principal Yael Bozzay said the teacher — who is not named in the message — has not taught at Mt. Carmel this school year. He also said school officials “are taking this situation very seriously, and we have been fully cooperating with law enforcement.”
Nine years ago, the student newspaper at Mt. Carmel High interviewed Walker as one its newest teachers, noting she taught drama and theater tech. According to the 2015 story, Walker had been a student at the school years before returning as a teacher.
“I love being back, I love being a Sundevil again,” Walker told the MC Sun. “I was interviewing for jobs at a couple other schools but in my heart I always wanted to come back here.”
Sayasane said the investigation is ongoing, but there is no indication of any other alleged victims. “But if there are any additional victims or witnesses, we’d like to know about it.”
Tipsters, witnesses or people who believe they might be a victim can call the San Diego police Sex Crimes Unit at (619) 531-2210. Anonymous tips can be left by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or online at sdcrimestoppers.org.
