Judge rejects plea in sexual conduct case of former Kofa teacher

  A former Kofa High School teacher accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor has withdrawn from his plea agreement and will take the case to trial.

  Under the terms of the plea agreement, Christopher Parrett would have pleaded guilty to one count of sexual conduct with a minor and be sentenced to 10 years of probation.

  According to Chief Criminal Deputy County Attorney Roger Nelson, Superior Court Judge Andrew Gould would not accept a sentence that did not include prison time.

  Nelson explained that since the judge rejected the plea agreement, Parrett had the right to withdraw from it.

  Now that Parrett has withdrawn from the plea agreement, Nelson said the case will now be assigned to a different judge.

  Parrett allegedly had inappropriate sexual conduct with a male student while employed at Kofa High in 2006. He left Kofa High after that school year for a teaching position at Capital High in Helena, Mont., where he was arrested in October.

  A local investigation was conducted, with findings presented to the Yuma County Attorney's Office. A criminal complaint charging Parrett with sexual conduct with a minor was  issued, as was an arrest warrant.

  After posting bail in Montana, Parrett was ordered to appear in Yuma Justice Court later that month, which he did.

  Parrett, who is still out on bond, was originally charged with six counts of sexual conduct with a minor, one count of furnishing obscene materials to a minor and one count of sexual abuse.

  Since Gould rejected Parrett's plea agreement, the former teacher is once again facing those original eight charges.

  Yuma attorney James Clark, of the firm Clark and Associates, has also filed a civil lawsuit against Parrett, Kofa High School and the Yuma Union High School District, on behalf of the student that was originally molested.

  The lawsuit accuses the named parties with four complaints, including assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and two counts of deprivation of due process and equal protection from the teacher (negligence).

  According to the lawsuit, during the 2006-07 school year, Parrett allegedly sexually molested and abused the victim while he was his teacher. The male student was 16 at the time.

  Parrett's improper acts with the student, according to the lawsuit, included touching, fondling, kissing and sodomy.

  The lawsuit states that the sexual encounters occurred on numerous occasions during the school year, at locations both on and off campus, and during and in connection with classes and school activities, including late-night unsupervised school yearbook activities.

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James Gilbertcan be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.