Ex-Teachers Aide Pleads Guilty to Lewd Acts With Child

A former teacher's aide has pleaded guilty to sending obscene photographs of himself to three boys and trying to meet an 11-year-old for sex at a 7-Eleven in Fountain Valley.

Miguel Antonio Mendoza, 21, of Orange, pleaded guilty Thursday to one felony count each of lewd acts on a child younger than 14 and attempted lewd act on a child younger than 14 as well as three felony counts each of possession of child pornography and distributing pornography to a minor. He was sentenced to six months in jail.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Craig Robison, who made the plea bargain offer, also ordered Mendoza to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Mendoza was a part-time teacher's aide for an afterschool program at Villa Park Elementary School.

Deputy District Attorney Nagy Morcos objected to the deal. Morcos' offer was for three years in prison, "because there are three victims," he said.

Messages left with defense attorney Ed Munoz were not immediately returned.

Mendoza received two strikes under the deal and must serve 85 percent of the sentence, Morcos said. He has credit for 11 days served.

Mendoza met an 11-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy through a cellphone application in August 2010, Morcos said.

Mendoza sent text messages and nude photographs of himself through the phone, Morcos said. Mendoza asked the boys to send him nude pictures of themselves back, the prosecutor said.

Mendoza arranged to meet the 11-year-old boy on Aug. 29, 2010, at 11:30 p.m. at a 7-Eleven store in Fountain Valley, Morcos said.

The boy's mother spotted the text messages and pictures from Mendoza in her son's phone that same day, so she called police, who arrested Mendoza at the 7-Eleven, Morcos said.