Man accused of soliciting undercover cop posing as minor was a Burroughs High substitute

By Alene Tchekmedyian, <i><a href=”mailto:alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com”>alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com</a></i>

March 5, 2015 2:34 PM PT

A 42-year-old Glendale man accused of soliciting an undercover police officer who was posing as a 13-year-old girl online was a substitute teacher at John Burroughs High School in Burbank for two months last year, officials said.

Glendale police are looking for possible victims who may have had contact with the man, identified as Kenneth Robert Delman, said Glendale Police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot. Delman was arrested the day before Valentine’s Day last month by Santa Clara County sheriff’s officials.

Delman had been in contact with the undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old freshman in high school for several months before the pair made plans to meet up in person, said Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Sgt. James Jensen.

“He came up here and booked a room at a hotel to have sex with this imaginary 13-year-old girl,” Jensen said.

Delman was a substitute for a Burroughs English teacher who was out on medical leave last year from April to the end of May, according to John Paramo, director of secondary education at Burbank Unified School District.

During that time, school officials did not receive any complaints of sexual misconduct on the part of Delman, according to Paramo.

“I say that with such certainty because I was principal at the time,” Paramo said. “We did not get any complaints or any concerns of this nature at all.”

Burroughs parent Wanda White said her son, a junior at the time, was in Delman’s English class last year.

“I never really expected this at all,” she said, adding that she met with the teacher a couple of times, but most parents may not recognize him since he was a substitute. “I hope they do alert parents.”

According to Lightfoot, there’s no record of Delman teaching at Glendale Unified schools.

Delman was released from police custody after posting bail, Jensen said.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call Glendale police at (818) 548-3106. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.