Former Marina teacher guilty of sexual assault

A former Marina High School teacher was found guilty Tuesday of sexually assaulting four of his former students in 2003 and 2004, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

Huntington Beach resident Victor Rodriguez, 50, was convicted of two counts of lewd acts on a child and two counts of child annoyance, and he now faces up to three years, eight months in prison, officials said. He also will have to register as a sex offender.

From February 2003 to December 2004, the music teacher molested four female students, touching near and around their breasts while pretending he was locating their diaphragm during private singing lessons, officials said.

In March 2003, Marina High School administrators had warned Rodriguez he was not allowed to use this “diaphragm technique” or have private lessons with his students.

Three other female students were allegedly molested, but because the assaults happened outside the statute of limitations, Rodriguez was not charged for the additional incidents, according to the District Attorney’s office.

Rodriguez was put on mandatory leave when charges were filed in June 2005, said Kathy Miller, assistant superintendent of personnel for the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

Rodriguez is scheduled for sentencing at 9 a.m., Aug. 25, at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.