Christopher James Hooker, 41, the former Modesto teacher who made headlines all over the globe for leaving his wife and kids to live with former student, J.P., 18, has been charged for molesting a student 14 years ago, as reported by MSNBC, the Modesto Bee, and ABC News.
Hooker was charged with one count of oral copulation with a 17 year-old Davis High School student in 1998. Hooker was a teacher at the same Modesto high school at the time.
After his arrest and booking into the Stanislaus County Jail, Hooked entered a plea of not guilty. The Stanislaus County Superior court judge set his bail at $50,000. Police allege that Hooker befriended a 17 year-old student, and then entered into a romantic relationship that culminated in sexual assault.
Recently, when Hooker left his job, wife and kids before moving in with J.P., he was already under police investigation in the 1998 case.
While teaching business and computer classes at Enoch High School – where his daughter also attends – Hooker met freshman J. P. In an interview with the Modesto Bee, just this past March, Hooker said, "In making our choice, we've hurt a lot of people. We keep asking ourselves, 'do we make everyone else happy or do we follow our hearts?'"
T.P., J.P.'s mother, told the Bee that Hooker had pursued her daughter. T.P. cited that her daughter was experiencing difficulties with her grades and that she also suffered with panic attacks. J.P. has since left Hooker. T.P. told reporters that she believed it was due to "the stress of (his) lie."
In an interview with ABC News, J.P. told them that when Hooker called her from jail she told him that they were "done."
J.P. added that she had "lost everything for this guy. I lost my senior year. I gave up all my friends at high school because they didn't agree with me."
Of the 1998 molestation allegation, T.P. told ABC News that Hooker explained to her that he had only "hung out with her just as friends and then he went to her house and she came out of the bathroom naked and he only touched her boobs and her legs. He was freaked out so he left and went home. He said nothing else happened, but all of that was a lie."
Now J.P. is of the belief that the only reason the other woman came forward after 14 years was to force J.P. into seeing the truth behind Hooker's actions.
J.P. sadly added, "My heart dropped. I felt betrayed. I just have a gut feeling there are other girls."
When Hooker and J.P.'s relationship hit the news they contended that they did not engage in sexual activities until she was 18 years old. Police, however, are also investigating that claim as well.
J.P. and T.P. have moved out of the area and into an undisclosed location. T.P. added, "She is safe, and I'm glad of that, and I'm elated that he's in custody."
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