Two San Diego-area educators arrested on suspicion of child sex crimes in unrelated cases: High school drama teacher accused of sexually abusing student for at least two years and a high school assistant principal accused of soliciting child sexual abuse material from a minor.
Stacy Michelle Walker, 40, a teacher at Mt. Carmel High School, turned herself in and was taken into custody Wednesday evening. Police did not specify, but jail records indicate she was arrested on suspicion of 17 counts, including luring a minor.
San Diego police say the abuse happened between 2017 and 2019.
Hoover High School Assistant Principal Charles Thomas Boyd De Freitas, 43, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of distributing obscene material to a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material. Police said a minor “reported that De Freitas had sent and requested illicit images through a social media application.”
San Diego police announced the arrests within hours of each other Thursday. Walker was investigated by the department’s sex crimes unit. De Freitas was arrested by the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, of which the San Diego Police Department is a member.
Walker, who remained in custody Thursday in lieu of more than $400,000 bail, is expected to be arraigned Friday in San Diego Superior Court. The name of his attorney was not immediately available.
In announcing his arrest, San Diego police released a statement alleging the abuse “occurred over an extended period of time from 2017 to 2019.”
Police said Walker began having sexually charged conversations with the student when the girl was 15, and it progressed to sharing explicit photos, videos and text messages.
Police say the teacher met with the victim multiple times and engaged in sexual acts, and the incidents continued until the victim turned 18.
When asked if any of the alleged incidents occurred on campus, police Lt. Dan Sayasane cited the ongoing investigation and said the incidents “occurred in different locations.”
The student turned himself in to San Diego police on July 31. Police detectives immediately began investigating the allegations.
Poway Unified School District spokeswoman Christine Paik said police informed the school district of the allegations and investigation in August. At that point, Paik said, the district placed Walker on leave and launched an internal investigation.
In a message to parents, Mount Carmel principal Yael Bozzay said the teacher – who is not named in the message – had not taught at Mount Carmel this school year. The principal also said school officials “are taking this situation very seriously and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement.”
Nine years ago, the Mt. Carmel High student newspaper interviewed Walker as one of its new teachers, noting that she taught drama and theater technology. According to the 2015 story, Walker had been a student at the school before returning as a teacher.
“I love being back, I love being a Sundevil again,” Walker told MC Sun. “I was interviewing for jobs at a few other schools, but in my heart I always wanted to come back here.”
The allegations against De Freitas emerged when the minor “indicated that De Freitas had sent and requested illicit images through a social media application,” San Diego police said in a news release.
The task force commander, Sgt. Garrick Nugent said the investigation began Wednesday and the school district was notified the same day.
Nugent said De Freitas “was informed of the investigation at the time of his arrest, which coincided with the service of a search warrant.” Investigators seized several devices and plan to examine them for evidence, police said.
De Freitas was not in custody as of Thursday afternoon and is expected to be arraigned in San Diego Superior Court on March 28. It is unclear whether he had an attorney.
The police sergeant declined to release any information about the juvenile, including whether the person is a student at Hoover High.
De Frietas has been with the San Diego Unified School District for 13 years, first as a teacher at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts before joining Hoover High to become an administrator.
Hoover High School Principal Tracey Makings sent a message to parents saying De Freitas “has been placed on leave and will not be allowed on campus.”
Investigations into the two educators are still ongoing.
Police highlighted De Frietas’ “access and involvement with the children” and said they were seeking to hear from others who could be potential victims. People can contact task force investigator Laura Hurtado at 495lhurtado@sdicac.org.
Sayasane said the investigation into Walker, the drama teacher, was ongoing, but there was no indication of other alleged victims. “But if there are other victims or witnesses, we would like to know.”
Tipsters, witnesses or people who think they may be a victim can call the San Diego Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit at (619) 531-2210. Anonymous tips can be left by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or online at sdcrimestoppers.org.
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