SANTA ANA : Former Coach Pleads Not Guilty to Charges

A former high school basketball coach has pleaded not guilty to charges he had sex with a 16-year-old student and embezzled nearly $8,000 from a sports booster club, according to court records.

Former Santa Ana Valley High School English teacher Richard D. Prospero, 31, resigned in January, about the same time money was found to be missing from a private account used by parents and students for school sports, said Don Champlin, an assistant superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District.

Shortly after his resignation, a 16-year-old high school student confided in another teacher about her relationship with Prospero, Champlin said. School officials alerted police of the relationship in early February, he said.

But it took four months before Santa Ana police obtained an arrest warrant for Prospero on June 28, according to court records. Neither a Santa Ana police spokesman nor prosecutors or defense lawyers returned telephone calls for comment Friday.

Prospero, who had been on staff for about five years, was charged with unlawful sexual intercourse and embezzlement. He posted $5,000 bail in July and was ordered to have no contact with the victim.

On Thursday, Prospero waived his right to have a municipal judge decide whether there is sufficient evidence to support the charges against him. He faces arraignment Oct. 3 in Orange County Superior Court.

Champlin said many were surprised by the charges.

“He was a very popular coach and teacher and I really feel sad that whatever problems he might have had caused problems like this,” he said.