A 36-year-old Eastvale high school employee accused of sexually assaulting and harassing multiple female students was charged Wednesday with forcible rape and other felony counts.
Joe Robles Jr. of Ontario was arrested Friday following a Riverside County sheriff's investigation that began in late September.
Along with the forcible rape charge, Robles faces three counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor, seven counts of annoying a child under 18 years old, two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of oral copulation of a minor and a sentence-enhancing allegation of targeting multiple victims in a sex crime.
The defendant pleaded not guilty during an arraignment before Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Nov. 1 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to sheriff's Sgt. Ernie Esquibel, administrators from Eleanor Roosevelt High School on Scholar Way informed deputies on Sept. 26 that Robles had allegedly been involved in illicit relationships with several former students.
In the ensuing investigation, detectives learned that Robles -- whose job title at the campus was not stated -- allegedly "had multiple inappropriate relationships with students'' who had attended Roosevelt, Esquibel said.
The prosecution's criminal complaint lists four girls, who were allegedly victimized between August 2014 and July 2017. Their identities were not disclosed.
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Esquibel said the investigation further revealed that the defendant was allegedly communicating with current students via social media apps.
A search warrant was served at Robles' residence in the 2800 block of East Alberta Street, where alleged evidence was seized, and the defendant was taken into custody without a struggle, the sergeant said.
Robles has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County. The Corona-Norco Unified School District was contacted regarding his current employment status, but officials did not immediately respond.
