Granada Hills Teacher Faces 20 Sex-Related Charges

SAN FERNANDO (CBS) — A teacher at a Christian school in Granada Hills made his initial court appearance Monday on 20 sex-related charges involving the alleged molestation of an underage student.

Mark Stephen Hubbard, who is on leave from Hillcrest Christian School, is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 13 in San Fernando Superior Court.

The 51-year-old Granada Hills man is charged with 16 counts of oral copulation of a person under 18, three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and one count of sodomy of a person under 18, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Hubbard was initially arrested Nov. 21 by detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Sexual Assault Unit and released on bail. He was re-arrested late Wednesday in connection with the charges and is jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.

The criminal complaint alleges that the crimes occurred between April and November.

Authorities declined to reveal the gender or age of the alleged victim, but police said the case involved "allegations of an ongoing sexual relationship between a high school student and the suspect."

If convicted as charged, Hubbard faces a maximum state prison term of 15 years and eight months, according to the District Attorney's Office.

School spokesman Rick Donnelly said Hubbard has been placed on leave, pending the outcome of the case.

"We are cooperating with authorities," Donnelly said.

Hubbard has been employed at the school for eight years, and served as a health teacher, athletic director and assistant coach for the boys basketball and baseball teams, according to police.

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