A former Arvin High School teacher accused of having sexual relations with a student has accepted a plea deal that will require him to register as a sex offender.
Michael Parra pleaded no contest on Tuesday to two counts of having inappropriate sex with a minor, while five other charges were dismissed as part of the agreement.
The plea deal requires Parra to serve 180 days in a Kern County Jail, register as a sex offender, and abide by a restraining order keeping him away from the victim.
"While these charges could've been run consecutively, and these charges are technically what we call prison-eligible, under all of these factors, it wouldn't have been an equitable outcome, or fair outcome for Mr. Parra to serve a prison sentence," said Jared Thompson, Parra's attorney.
Thompson explained that several factors influenced the plea agreement, including that the victim was close to legal age, made inconsistent statements, and consented to the relationship.
"These charges don't have any elements of coercion, or force, or abuse of power, or anything like that; it's simply what we call strict liability: an act was done, and the person was under the age of 18," Thompson said.
The agreement comes after Parra's former student wrote a letter to the District Attorney stating she would not be willing to testify. In the letter, she wrote in part: "I will suffer for a lifetime if I have to go to court to testify against and convict this man, who I wholly believe would not have some of these actions unless I asked him and gave him permission to do so."
"Ultimately, my client wanted to resolve it. He didn't want to put anyone through the ordeal of a trial, including the complaining witness in this case, who he didn't want to have her forced into court, or force to testify, or force to do things she didn't want to do," Thompson said.
The District Attorney's office declined to comment when I reached out for an interview.
Parra's sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, October 16th.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
