A 44-year-old California middle school teacher has been arrested for engaging in what police say was a sexually explicit online conversation with a minor.
Eric Reid Zuercher of Irvine was arrested on Jan. 5 after the online group known as People v. Peds contacted police following a text message exchange with Zuercher, authorities said.
“The group reported that while posing online as a 14-year-old boy, they communicated with an adult man,” Irvine Police Det. Brian Felling said in a statement. “The text messages turned sexual in nature, and the adult asked the minor if he would be interested in meeting.”
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Before contacting police, Felling said a representative for People v. Peds confronted Zuercher at his home and attempted to engage in conversation.
A video of the brief exchange was shared on social media.
“Hey man, how’s it going?” the unidentified cameraman is heard asking Zuercher.
As he approaches Zuercher, the cameraman says, “Listen, Eric, I want to have a conversation with you.” After cutting short the conversation, Zuercher is seen going back inside his home, police said.
Detectives later obtained a warrant and found Zuercher at his residence, where he was arrested and booked at the Orange County Jail for attempting to converse with a minor to meet and engage in sexual activity.
Zuercher, who was later identified as a math teacher at Sierra Vista Middle School, has been placed on administrative leave. His bio remains active on the school’s website. Sierra Vista Middle School is a 7th-8th grade middle school in Irvine with nearly 1,200 students, according to the California Department of Education website.
Felling said, “At this time, there is no evidence that the suspect has had inappropriate contact” with any students in the Irvine Unified School District.
A screenshot of an alleged conversation between Zuercher and a representative for People v. Peds shows Zuercher asking sexually inappropriate questions between an adult male and a 14-year-old boy.
