San Diego
A 55-year-old teacher pleaded innocent Friday to 30 counts of rape, oral copulation and rape with a foreign object of a mentally incompetent person.
Christian Tuffli, former teacher at the Mission Beach Training Center--a school for the developmentally disabled operated by the San Diego Unified School District--was accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student with Down’s syndrome.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Cyndi Jo Mitton said Tuffli faces a consecutive sentence of 126 years if convicted of all charges.
San Diego Municipal Judge Lillian Quon set bail at $50,000, rejecting the $5,000 amount suggested by Tuffli’s attorney, Robert Boyce. A bail review was set for Wednesday and a preliminary hearing for June 15.
Mitton said in court that the sex acts occurred during school recesses beginning Jan. 3 and ending May 22. Tuffli was arrested Wednesday.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
