Investigators in Riverside have arrested a 61-year-old teacher at a Riverside continuation school accused of communicating with someone who solicited paid sex acts from someone portraying herself as a minor, police said Thursday.
The suspect was identified as Thomas Borden of Laguna Niguel, according to the Riverside Police Department. He was a resource specialist at Raincross High School and an adjunct faculty member in kinesiology at Riverside City College.
Vice Unit detectives learned on Tuesday that a man was allegedly “communicating with a female who was portraying herself as being under the age of 18, for the purposes of paying for sex acts,” according to Riverside Police Department Sgt. Chad Collopy.
“The detectives began an investigation and tracked down the adult male in the city of Riverside,” Collopy said.
Borden was later arrested and booked on suspicion of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a felony, arranging a meeting with a minor to commit lewd acts and soliciting a minor for prostitution services, according to the sergeant.
Both the college and the school district were notified of the allegations and arrest, Collopy said.
“The district is extremely concerned by the allegations against Mr. Borden,” school district spokesman Justin Grayson said. “Mr. Borden has been placed on administrative leave, as is consistent with law.
“However, under Education Code section 44940, if Mr. Borden is charged in court with a sex offense, the district immediately will place him on mandatory unpaid leave of absence.”
The district has no information that wrongdoing occurred “in the school setting,” but district personnel will work with law enforcement and legal counsel to ensure the matter is fully investigated and that any affected member of the district community is provided support, Grayson said.
“When the facts are further clarified, the district will take further appropriate personnel action,” Grayson said, adding that the education code calls for automatic termination of any teacher convicted of a sex offense.
Borden has also been placed on administrative leave “pending an investigation” by the Riverside Community College District, Associate Vice Chancellor Peggy Cartwright said.
Detectives said they believe there could be additional possible victims and asked anyone with information about the case to contact Riverside police Detective L. Blaszak at (952) 353-7205 or lblaszak@riversideca.gov.