Another rotten apple has been revealed. A Kennewick teacher who owns Richland martial arts school has been accused of inappropriate contact with a girl and trying to set up a secret meeting for sexual purposes.
A certain Oscar Perez Garnica, 47, taught math at the local Highschool and was since getting charged placed on a PAID leave following charges. As per the district spokeswoman Robyn Chastain:
“Oscar Perez Garnica was placed on paid administrative leave before the school year began when the school district learned about the allegations from law enforcement”
Garnica has been a teacher at the Highschool since 2006 and also girls bowling coach from 2008 to 2016. According to Academies Website, Facebook page of the Choice Martial Arts Academy and Garnica’s personal page he is a judo black belt and a bjj brown belt. One picture claims he was a American National Judo Team Alternate.
The incident took place at Choice Martial Arts on Wellsian Way.
Garnica working with a young female student
The about page of the academies website claims to be dedicated to child safety:
“We understand that your child’s safety is your top priority, especially when it comes to enrolling your kid in a martial arts school.”
The incident he was charged with was with a young teen girl according to the Tri-CityHerald , on August 7th at the Academy. The following day the girl in question disclosed the encounter to her counselor who had an obligation to report it.
The academy is registered under Garnica’s home adress in Pasco, and court documents say he is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu sensei, or teacher, at the school.
He was charged with 3rd degree child molestation with aggravating circumstances given that he was in a position of trust and confidence at the time.
Tri-City Herald notes:
“Garnica had been helping the girl “work through some difficult personal problems,” according to court documents.
They were alone when he invited the girl to sit on his lap. They eventually began kissing and he touched her inappropriately, documents said.”
The two talked about having a sexual encounter the next day with Garnica planning to bring condoms.
Court documents also reveal he claims the incident was actually “that he hugged the teen while she was sitting on his lap and that his hand must have slipped” denying any wrong doing.
Deputy Prosecutor Megan Whitmire wrote that Garnica told the mother he had “been through this type of thing before,” that there would be interviews and his name would be placed on “a list” for a year, and then everything would be fine.
Phone records show more than 400 texts between the young teen and Garnica from July until the date of incident when the girl’s mother took the phone and got a civil court order to prevent Garnica from having any further contact with the victim.
Many of the texts were sent after midnight. At one point the victim wrote “I’m done … all I do is cause pain” to which Garnica replied “You bring happiness and smiles to my life.”
