A Palm Springs High School teacher suspected of trying to seduce one of his students using text messages was freed on bail today.
Indio resident Ronald Bishop, 40, was arrested about 3:15 p.m. Thursday in a school parking lot at 2401 E. Baristo Road. Police received a report Monday about a "child annoyance" involving a 15-year-old boy, and learned the suspect was one of the boy's teachers at the school, Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.
"(Police) learned that Bishop was suspected of communicating via text messaging with the 15-year-old victim over a period of nearly two months," Kovaleff said. "The text messaging included harmful matter that Bishop is suspected of sending in an attempt to seduce the minor."
Bishop was arrested on suspicion of contact or communication with a minor to commit an offense and child annoyance. He was booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and was released today on a $150,000 bond. He was expected to be arraigned March 15 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to jail records.
Kovaleff said detectives served search warrants at Bishop's residence, vehicle and cell phone.
Palm Springs Unified School District spokeswoman Joan Boiko said Bishop was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, and said she couldn't elaborate further because it was a personnel matter. She said Bishop had taught language arts at Palm Springs High since 2006 and at Nellie N. Coffman Middle School in Cathedral City from 2004 to 2006.
