Catholic School Teacher Accused of Molesting Student Released on House Arrest

By Jasmine Stole
Pacific Daily News
August 31, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/08/31/catholic-school-teacher-accused-molesting-student-released-house-arrest/615392001/

Peregrine Corpuz San Nicolas appears, via closed-circuit video, for his magistrate hearing at the Superior Court of Guam in Hagatna on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. San Nioclas faces charges of criminal sexual conduct, child abuse and harrassment.

The 52-year-old Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic School teacher accused of molesting a 10-year-old student was released Thursday on house arrest.

Magistrate Judge Benjamin Sison ordered Peregrine Corpuz San Nicolas not to contact, threaten or harass his accuser.

The girl’s mother on Wednesday called police, alleging San Nicolas touched her daughter inappropriately, court documents state.

San Nicolas is the girl’s physical education teacher.

San Nicolas would reportedly ask her to stay back, and when they were alone he would touch her breast area over her shirt, according to court documents.

This happened multiple times between January and March this year, she alleged.

The girl said the most recent touching incident happened on Aug. 25, documents state.

The girl told police she asked her classmates to stay with her so San Nicolas wouldn’t touch her, but they left her because San Nicolas told their class to go to the locker room, court documents state. The teacher allegedly told the girl to stay behind, court document state.

One of the girl’s classmates noticed she was acting differently in physical education class and asked if San Nicolas was abusing her, which is when she told her classmates about the alleged abuse, court documents state.

She had learned “good touch, bad touch” and described San Nicolas’ touch as “bad touch,” to police.

When police interviewed San Nicolas, he said he did ask the girl to stay back after class. He said while talking to her with his arm on her right shoulder he, “may have unintentionally moved his right hand down towards her chest area,” documents state.

San Nicolas reportedly said his hand may have moved because they were walking, “causing imbalance of his hand,” according to the court complaint.

“(San Nicolas) also admitted that he may have patted her chest area while patting her right shoulder but that it was unintentional,” court documents state.

He also told police that he doesn’t recall touching the girl’s chest, but that he did place his right hand on her right shoulder, the complaint states.

He was charged Thursday with three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct as a first-degree felony, one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of harassment as a petty misdemeanor.

San Nicolas was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.

He doesn’t have a criminal record and has been working at Bishop for about 12 years, according to court documents.

The school placed him on administrative leave.

These allegations against San Nicolas come in the midst of ongoing civil lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Agana. Plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages for alleged sexual assault by past Catholic priests or others affiliated with the church.

Contact: jstole@guampdn.com