Former Granite Hills High Teacher Sentenced to 6 Months in Jail, with Appeal Pending

A former Granite Hills High School teacher convicted of charges related to sexual misconduct involving an underage former student was sentenced Wednesday.

Gerald Lopez received a six-month sentence in county jail, but will remain free pending an appeal.

Lopez, 56, was convicted by an El Cajon jury last month of a felony count of possessing child pornography and a misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a child, as a result of his communications with a then-minor, a 17-year-old girl.

The same jury, however acquitted Lopez of more than a dozen other charges and hung on five counts of sending harmful material to a minor. Superior Court Judge John Thompson dismissed the remaining deadlocked counts.

On Wednesday, Thompson also sentenced Lopez to two years of formal felony probation, to include a 4th Amendment waiver condition allowing police to search Lopez without a warrant or probable cause, including his electronics and social media, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

The D.A.’s Office said that over its objection, Lopez will be allowed to stay out of custody pending his appeal.

Lopez, 56, who taught English and coached sports, was arrested in 2022 by El Cajon police after the teen-ager’s mother discovered a series of text messages between her daughter and Lopez.

During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Josh Brisbane told jurors that Lopez exchanged sexually motivated text messages and pictures with the girl over the course of several months, while Lopez’s defense attorney, Robert Boyce, argued that his client had no intention of pursuing anything with the girl until after she turned 18.

After the girl’s mother discovered the texts, she reported it to the school. Lopez was initially placed on unpaid leave, but Grossmont Union High School District officials announced in August 2022 that he was no longer working for the district.

City News Service contributed to this report.