High school teacher accused of sexual misconduct with 16-year-old student, WA cops say
A high school science teacher is accused of sex crimes against a student, Washington prosecutors said.
Pawares “Mac” Pathompornvivat, 32, was charged with two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and one count of felony communication with a minor for immoral purposes on Thursday, Feb. 23, King County prosecutors said in charging documents.
Pathompornvivat is a science teacher at Franklin High School in Seattle, police said.
A 16-year-old reported the sexual abuse to the school, prompting an investigation into the teacher, police said.
Investigators learned the two were in a sexual relationship after the student gave Pathompornvivat a gift for his birthday at the end of January, police said.
Over a few weeks, the two exchanged more than 3,000 messages, some including photographs, police said. They also are accused of messaging each other on Discord and by email.
Police said they reviewed text messages between the two and confirmed the other number belonged to Pathompornvivat.
“The defendant abused his position of trust and authority as a Seattle Public School high school teacher by having sexual intercourse on multiple occasions with a student in various places around the city of Seattle,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Emily Petersen said in charging documents.
The high school’s principal told investigators Pathompornvivat was the teen’s teacher during the first semester, beginning Sept. 14, police said.
Pathompornvivat also told the teen he had been in a relationship with a different student, police said.
He was arrested and his phone was taken by police until they could perform a search warrant on Feb. 20, police said.
Pathompornvivat has been placed on paid administrative leave by Seattle Public Schools, Franklin High School principal Joseph Williams III said in an email to families on Sunday, Feb. 19.
“They have been restricted from having contact with students, families, and staff,” Williams said in the email. “They have been restricted from entering any SPS school buildings or attending school-related events.”
“SPS does not tolerate any abuse of authority or sexual assault toward students,” he said.
Anyone who has been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted at the school can contact school staff or the district’s Title IX coordinator at 206-252-0367 or by emailing title.ix@seattleschools.org.
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 11:43 AM with the headline "High school teacher accused of sexual misconduct with 16-year-old student, WA cops say."
