Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Guard Pleads No Contest in Rape : Crime: Employee at Palmdale High faces eight years in prison after incident involving teen-ager visiting campus.

A part-time school security guard pleaded no contest Monday to charges that he raped a teen-age girl who was visiting Palmdale High School last week.

Andre Andrews, 39, faces eight years in prison after entering no contest pleas to charges of rape by threat to arrest or deport and oral copulation under color of authority, said County Deputy Dist. Atty. Steve Ogden.

Andrews, who has a previous criminal record, is scheduled to be sentenced in Lancaster Superior Court June 6.

Andrews, a substitute school security guard for the Antelope Valley Union High School District, was working at Palmdale High School on May 8 when he approached the 16-year-old Las Vegas girl and her friend, a student at the school.

The victim first told Andrews she was a student at the school but once her friend was escorted to class, she told him the truth. Andrews allegedly threatened to arrest the girl, but then told her he would let her go if they had sex.

The girl said she complied out of fear.

School board member Billy Pricer said he was shocked at news of the incident. “It’s devastating to know that school personnel, no matter what position they’re in, [are] capable of something like that.”

Pricer said the board was informed Andrews had a prior record and that he noted on his employment application that 12 years ago he was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.

“It was perfectly within the limits of the education code to hire him in that position,” said Pricer. “I don’t know how you anticipate anything like this.”

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