Teacher Charged in Internet Sex Sting

Police have arrested a 32-year-old high school teacher and coach for allegedly using the Internet to arrange sex with a teenage girl.

Detectives on Wednesday filed felony charges of attempted lewd conduct with a juvenile against Mark McGuiness of Redondo Beach. McGuiness has taught for about 10 years at Bishop Montgomery High School, a Catholic campus in Torrance where he also coaches the boys’ varsity and the girls’ junior varsity volleyball teams.

Officers from the South Bay High Technology Task Force, a joint operation of the Redondo Beach and Torrance police departments, arrested McGuiness after a sting operation in which a detective posed as a 13-year-old girl on the Internet.

According to Redondo Beach police, McGuiness entered into a conversation with the detective and the two allegedly planned to meet for sex on Tuesday. He was arrested after he arrived at the alleged rendezvous and was met by detectives.

Officials at the school, which has been on a half-day schedule this week because of semester exams, referred media calls about the incident to the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese.

Father Gregory Coiro, archdiocese spokesman, said McGuiness has been suspended pending the “outcome of the investigation and other legal issues” and added the school will cooperate fully with police as the investigation continues.