Downey High School teacher arrested for sex with student

DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Downey High School teacher Brandon Hitchcock was arrested Friday for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The L.A. County District Attorney's Office has filed multiple criminal charges against him.

Hitchcock, 30, has been charged with 15 felony counts: 10 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and five counts of oral copulation of a person under 18, the D.A.'s Office said.

Hitchcock pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21 in Norwalk.

Downey High School officials informed the Downey Police Department on Oct. 9 of a possible inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student, police said, and an investigation was immediately launched.

Hitchcock, a teacher and soccer coach at the school, was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the Downey Unified School District.

The criminal complaint alleges that the defendant had sexual interactions with a female student over a seven-month period, according to the D.A.'s Office.

Hitchcock has since been placed on unpaid leave and the Board of Education will act on a recommendation by the superintendent to terminate Hitchcock's employment at the next board meeting, the district said Tuesday.

If convicted, Hitchcock faces a maximum sentence of nearly 13 years in state prison.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact Detective Joanne Yarbrough at (562) 904-2328.

CORRECTION: A court spokesperson originally stated Hitchcock's arraignment was continued to Nov. 21 in Norwalk. Hitchcock was arraigned Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to all charges.