La Mirada math teacher charged with sexually assaulting three students

Venusse Navid

A former Nicholas Junior High School math teacher was charged Tuesday with 10 felony counts including sexual assault, distributing pornography and sending sexual messages to minors, according to Orange County District Attorney’s Office officials.

Melissa Nicole Lindgren, 28, of La Mirada is charged with five felony counts of lewd acts on a child, two felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years of age, and three felony counts of distributing pornography to a minor, officials said. She faces additional prison time on the allegation that she molested multiple youths.

 If convicted, Lindgren faces a maximum of 16 years and four months in state prison. Lindgren is out on $100,000 bail and will be arraigned today at North Justice Center in Fullerton.

Lindgren allegedly committed the crimes while employed as a math teacher at the school. She allegedly met three male students, between 13 to 15 years old, and sent them sexual text messages during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school year.

Lindgren is accused of molesting one of the boys in a campus classroom, which included sexually touching and kissing. She is accused of molesting a second boy by sexually touching him in a classroom. Lindgren is also accused of meeting a third boy off campus and molesting him by sexually touching him in a car, officials said.

One of the boys reported the molestation and Fullerton Police Department investigated. Lindgren was arrested on Feb. 21.

Source: whittierdailynews