A Gilroy High School science teacher who allegedly posed as a young girl online to convince minors to send him sexually explicit photographs has been arrested on 2 counts of child enticement.

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Update: Gilroy Sex Offender Sentenced

April 4, 2017 - Former Gilroy High School science teacher Douglas Le has been sentenced to time served, or 16 months of a possible 11-year prison term, for soliciting nude photos of young boys and other sex crimes, according to the Gilroy Dispatch [1]. Le was sentenced March 24 by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Socrates Manoukian, who gave him credit for 243 days in custody plus an additional 242 credits, or 485 days, which equals 16 months, and was set free. Manoukian ordered Le into therapy, to stay away from schools, to stay employed and to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender.

What’s the Problem?

May 3, 2016 - Douglas Le, 25, created a fake profile as a girl on Facebook to entice underage boys to send him nude photographs, according to the San Jose Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Predators creating fake online identities to trick people into encounters is referred to as “catfishing.” Le’s victims believed they were engaging in an online relationship with a female.

Police say Le, who taught AP chemistry and biotechnology, may have contacted as many as 500 minors through Facebook. One parent contacted KSBW Action News 8 [2] to report that Le sent her daughter sexually inappropriate text messages back in Oct. 2014.

"I warned the Gilroy school district about this teacher over 1 1/2 years ago when he sent sexual texts to my child,” the girl’s mother said. “I brought them proof. Did they take appropriate action? No. Could this have been prevented? You bet. More should (and) could have been done."

Gilroy Unified School District superintendent Deborah Flores said Le was disciplined as a result of the 2014 messages, but that he was allowed to continue teaching.

"This was about several inappropriate texts,” Flores said. “There was no evidence whatsoever of what we are now hearing from the San Jose Police Department about enticing minors through a fake persona, asking students to send nude pictures."

Flores said police have a list of at least 7 current and former Gilroy High students who Le is suspected of having sent inappropriate messages. The superintendent says she is moving swiftly to terminate his employment. Le was booked into Santa Clara Jail last Tuesday.

Douglas Le Pleads Guilty to Sex Crimes on Minors, Sentenced to Prison

February 8, 2017 - Former Gilroy High science teacher Douglas Le pleaded guilty on Friday to 19 felony counts, and was immediately sentenced to serve 16 months in prison, according to KSBW8 [3]. A civil lawsuit, Jane Doe JG v. Gilroy Unified School District and Dougal Le, is still pending.

Gilroy High Teacher Charged with 20 Felonies for Posing Online as Porn Star

June 28, 2016 - Former Gilroy High School teacher Douglas Le was charged yesterday with 20 felonies after impersonating a porn star named "Rae Pelletier" in an attempt to get underage boys to send him lewd photographs through Facebook's instant messaging app, according to KSBW Action News 8 [4].

Santa Clara County prosecutors charged Le with possession of matter depicting a minor engaging or simulating sexual conduct, child molestation, 9 counts of sending harmful matter to a minor and 9 counts of communicating with a minor with the intent to commit specified crime. Le was arrested April 26; he remained out jail for 2 months, but was booked into jail yesterday because his bail was increased from $50,000 to $475,000.

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Parent Files Lawsuit Against Gilroy Unified for No Firing Le

May 6, 2016 - A parent is suing the Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD) for not firing Douglas Le, the AP science teacher who allegedly sent out sexually explicit text messages to an underage girl. The lawsuit accuses GUSD of negligence and inflicting emotional distress on the daughter of Celest Benn, who was a student at Gilroy High School.

She allegedly received a number of inappropriate text messages from Le in Oct. 2014. Celest says she notified school officials the day after she learned about the texts, but they refused to meet with her or fire Le.

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Gilroy Science Teacher Arrested for Sex Crimes on Minors