HOUSTON – A 23-year-old substitute teacher at Pasadena Independent School District is facing charges after being accused of having sex with a 16-year-old male student in 2018.
Olivia Huerta substituted for a social science teacher at Sam Rayburn High School at some point between January and April of 2018, officials wrote in documents filed in court. During that time, police say she took a 16-year-old student to her parents' house and had sex with him.
The allegations came to light when police say the teen admitted to a friend that he had sex with a teacher. The friend reported this to school administration, who then called authorities.
When interviewed, the victim told police when he was 16 years old, he walked with the teacher to her parents' house and had sex with her. He also said they exchanged phone numbers and had conversations through text and Snapchat. He couldn't remember the teacher's name, but he described her as a short, curvy Hispanic woman. When police showed him an array of photos, he picked Huerta out of the lineup.
Police questioned Huerta and say she admitted to having sex with the victim. She gave investigators her phone, and they found a textual conversation between her and the victim on her phone, alluding to the inappropriate relationship, police say.
Huerta faces second-degree felony charges of improper relationship with a student and sexual assault of a child between the ages of 14 and 16. She appeared in court early Thursday and her bond was set for $40,000.
In a statement to KPRC2, Pasadena ISD officials said the district takes allegations of sexual assault very seriously.
"Upon receiving the allegation, the administration at Sam Rayburn High School immediately notified district administration and the Pasadena ISD Police Department," school district officials wrote. "The accused individual was promptly removed from campus and is no longer employed by Pasadena ISD."
The school district also urged anyone with information about the case to reach out to the Pasadena ISD Police Department at 713-740-0200.