LAKE ELSINORE ---- A Temescal Canyon High School teacher was arrested Thursday in connection with the suspected spanking and molestation of a 14-year-old student, authorities said.Charles Roger Noppe, 35, was arrested at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station soon after investigators had served a search warrant at his home in the Horsethief Canyon area north of Lake Elsinore, said sheriff's investigator Mark Cordova.
Noppe was arrested on suspicion of corporal punishment on a child and lewd acts with a child with force, authorities said.
The state education code prohibits corporal punishment, such as spankings.
Noppe teaches auto shop and drafting at Temescal Canyon and has been on administrative leave since the allegations surfaced a week ago, said John Wise, executive director of administrative services for the Lake Elsinore Unified School District.
Once placed on leave, Noppe had no contact with students, Wise said. Information about how long Noppe has been employed by the district or if he taught at any other campuses was unavailable Thursday.
"Whenever there is any allegation that places any of our students at risk, it is our policy and procedure to place that employee on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation," Wise said.
The alleged incidents happened over three days, twice at the school and once at Noppe's home, Cordova said.
The spankings reportedly took place on campus on April 10 and 11 and then at Noppe's home on April 16, the investigator said. The boy was allegedly fondled during the spankings, Cordova said.
The boy is not being identified because of his age and The Californian's policy not to name victims of alleged sexual crimes.
The spankings were supposedly punishment for something the boy had done wrong, Cordova said.
Investigators served a search warrant at Noppe's home about 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Cordoba said. Computers were seized, as well as items Cordoba declined to identify.
Noppe was not home at the time of the search, Cordova said, but investigators told his wife that Noppe needed to turn himself in.
Noppe later came to the station and was arrested. He was booked at the Southwest Detention Center in French Valley, where he was being held late Thursday in lieu of $25,000 bail, a jail spokeswoman said.
Noppe is scheduled to be arraigned in Riverside on Monday, the spokeswoman said.
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