Modesto school aide ordered to stand trial on six counts of child sexual abuse
Lawrence DeAndre Harris, 24, faces six counts after allegedly sending explicit material to students under 14. A judge found sufficient evidence for trial.
Former La Loma staff member to face trial on child exploitation charges
A former paraeducator at La Loma Junior High School in Modesto has been ordered to stand trial on six counts — five felonies and one misdemeanour — after Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Linda McFadden found sufficient evidence for the case to proceed, modbee.com reports.
Lawrence DeAndre Harris, 24, appeared in Department 6 of Stanislaus County Superior Court on 5 November wearing an orange-and-white jail jumpsuit alongside his public defender, Christopher Rhee. His bail remains set at $550,000.
Harris was arrested on 20 January following a police investigation into alleged misconduct involving three girls younger than 14. He pleaded not guilty at his January arraignment.
Explicit messages sent via Snapchat and TikTok
Modesto Police Detective Jesus Salinas testified that Harris admitted during an interview with investigators to sending sexually explicit photographs and videos to two students. Salinas said Harris initially contacted one girl through TikTok in November 2025, before communications moved to Snapchat.
According to Salinas, Harris first sent the girl photographs of himself — including a shirtless image that appeared to have been taken at a gym — before the exchanges became sexually explicit. Harris subsequently sent the girl a photograph of his genitals obscured by an eggplant emoji, as well as multiple videos of himself masturbating.
Salinas testified that the girl repeatedly asked Harris to stop sending the videos and eventually began ignoring messages or responding with expressions of disgust. Harris also asked her to send photographs of herself and requested to meet her in person.
During cross-examination, Rhee questioned Salinas about Harris's stated motivations. Salinas confirmed that Harris denied being sexually attracted to the girls and described instead struggling with an addiction to pornography.
Second student contacted through tutoring
Modesto Police Officer Samartha Patel testified that a second 13-year-old student reported receiving a sexually explicit Snapchat photograph from Harris on 19 December 2025. The girl told investigators that Harris had first approached her at La Loma about tutoring before obtaining her Snapchat contact details.
She subsequently received a photograph showing his genitals obscured by an eggplant emoji, followed by a message referencing the shirt she had worn that day. The girl blocked Harris after receiving the messages and disclosed the incident to her mother two days later.
Under cross-examination, Rhee established that the girl reported receiving one photograph rather than multiple videos, and that Harris approached her on 16 January to apologise.
Third allegation involves physical contact in classroom
Investigators also described allegations from a third student, who reported that Harris touched her while she was seated in a classroom at La Loma. Patel testified that the girl said Harris placed his hands on her arms and put his hand on her thigh as he crouched beside her desk. The student told investigators the contact made her uncomfortable.
Rhee challenged this allegation, arguing the prosecution had not established that the touching served a sexual purpose, and suggested the contact may have been incidental to Harris's duties as a classroom aide.
Deputy District Attorney Vita Palazuelos disputed that explanation, arguing that touching a student's thigh bore no relation to the responsibilities of an educational aide. McFadden found sufficient evidence for the allegation to proceed, taking into account the testimony alongside the other alleged conduct in the case.
School roles and next court date
Harris had worked as a paraprofessional at La Loma Junior High School and also coached football and basketball at Downey High School. According to Modesto City Schools officials, he served as junior varsity football assistant coach during the 2025 season and as head coach of Downey High's freshman boys basketball team during the 2025–26 season.
Following his January arrest, district officials confirmed Harris had been removed from campus and no longer had access to school or district property.
Following Thursday's hearing, Palazuelos urged anyone else who may have been victimised by Harris to come forward. "If there are any other victims, please contact MPD as he worked with students at La Loma Junior High and coached at Downey High," Palazuelos told The Bee.
Rhee declined to comment following the hearing.
Harris is scheduled to return to Stanislaus County Superior Court on 19 November at 8:30 a.m. for arraignment on the information.
The allegations have not been proven at trial.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)