Richmond High teacher charged with unlawful sex with student

A Richmond High physical education teacher has been charged by prosecutors with multiple sex crimes related to an alleged sexual relationship with an underage student, police said today.

Israel Ayala Lopez, 26, the school’s P.E. teacher since 2017, faces four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is under age 16, and four counts of  lewd/lascivious acts upon a child for sexual gratification (where the child is 14/15 and the suspect is 10 years or older than the child.).

Bail was set for Lopez at $400,000.

The student reported the information to a school resource officer, who followed up and communicated with the principal and district and determined an arrest needed to be made, police said.