Pacific Collegiate School teacher arrested on charges of statutory rape

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) -- A 41-year-old instructor at Pacific Collegiate School (PCS), Trung Lai, was arrested Friday on charges of attempted statutory rape of a 17-year-old student.

On July 3, Lai plead "not guilty" to charges of a lewd act with a minor, unlawful intercourse, annoy/molest a child under 18 and arranging a meeting with a minor.

Lai is facing a preliminary hearing at the Superior Court in Santa Cruz on Aug. 6 at 8:15 a.m.

According to police, Lai was engaging in grooming behavior with a PCS student over the past couple of months, and on June 28 had arranged to meet the student off-campus to "engage in lewd acts." This was when Santa Cruz Police detectives took Lai into custody.

Police say that PCS has been notified and are cooperating with the investigation.

KION has reached out to PCS for a statement but has yet to hear back.