On May 22, Jeremy Hanson was arraigned in the Tulare County Superior Court where he pleaded not guilty to allegations of child molestation against a 13-year-old girl. In the same breath, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward announced charges against him for multiple alleged crimes committed against the girl, who was also one of his students at St. Paul School.

Hanson, 41, was arrested and booked on May 18 for three counts of student molestation. An investigation conducted by Visalia Police Department (VPD) detectives the day before his arrest revealed that he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with one of his students. According to VPD, the relationship had been going on for a few months before his arrest.

At his arraignment, Hanson was charged with three felony counts of a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, four felony counts of contact with a minor for sexual offense and one misdemeanor count of child molestation. He currently remains in custody on no bail and a preliminary hearing setting/bail hearing is scheduled for May 30.

If convicted of all charges, Hanson faces up to 16 years in state prison. Under current California sentencing laws, he will also have to register as a sex offender.

The investigation is still active and ongoing. The public is urged to contact the Visalia Police Department with any further information related to this case.