Educator Faces Charges of Sex With Minors : Court: Prosecutors say a Cal State Dominguez Hills professor picked up girls as young as 13 in South L.A. neighborhoods.

A Cal State Dominguez Hills professor faces arraignment on charges that he had sex with girls, some as young as 13, whom he had picked up in South Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Brhane Tesfay, 56, a professor at the Carson university’s management school, allegedly cruised the streets of southeast Los Angeles, picking up young girls and offering them gifts and money in exchange for sex, Deputy Dist. Atty. Barry Gale said.

Tesfay, whose five alleged victims ranged in age from 13 to 17, has been charged with lewd conduct, unlawful sexual intercourse, oral copulation and misdemeanor child molestation, Gale said. If convicted, Tesfay could face more than 10 years in prison.

Tesfay, who has pleaded not guilty, is free on $50,000 bail. The Culver City man was arrested last month in South Los Angeles and is scheduled to be arraigned July 8 in Compton Superior Court.

Neither Tesfay nor university officials could be reached for comment.

The alleged incidents, which authorities say occurred between April, 1992, and last month, came to light after one girl telephoned police complaining that Tesfay was “annoying” her cousin in front of her house, Gale said.

The prosecutor said Tesfay wanted the girl to accompany him to a motel, but she reportedly did not want to. Police arrested Tesfay and, after speaking with the girls, investigators contacted other girls who said they had been with the professor.

Based on interviews with those girls, authorities allege that Tesfay would drive around the area pretending to be lost and asking girls for directions. He would strike up conversations with them, offering his telephone number and urging them to call him if they wanted to discuss problems or go out to eat, according to the authorities.

He got to know the girls and would take them to McDonald’s and offer them flowers or money, ranging from $25 to $40, in exchange for sex at South Los Angeles-area motels, the authorities allege.

One alleged victim was 13 years old, two were 14, one was 15 and one was 17, Gale said.