An assistant band teacher at a San Diego area high school has pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault, and is facing a civil lawsuit as well. The perpetrator, 24-year-old Austin Aragon, entered his plea on November 30th, and will be sentenced on two felony counts of inappropriate relations with an underage person on January 3rd.

Case Background

Aragon began working as a drum instructor in April of 2016. His seduction of the victim included phrases such as “[You’re] the one,” and “star-crossed lovers.”

According to Voice of San Diego, later that year, Mangan-Magabilin, 38, was arrested on sexual assault charges dating back to 2011. At that point, Aragon demanded that his victim delete all her social media accounts, warning her that if their relationship was discovered, it would “ruin their chances of being together” later on.

NBC7 notes that in addition to the criminal conviction, Aragon faces a lawsuit filed by his victim, who is now 19. Unlike the criminal conviction, the civil complaint alleges additional forms of sexual assault, including rape.

School District Named as Defendant in Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The Sweetwater Union High School District , where both perpetrators were employed, has also been named in the lawsuit. It isn’t the first time; in the wake of Mangan-Magabilin’s 2017 conviction, the victim, who was also 15 when the sexual abuse began, sued the district. Ultimately, the defendant settled the case for $650,000.

Now, the district has been named as a co-defendant in the pending lawsuit filed by Aragon’s victim. She claims that the Sweetwater School District failed to investigate following Mangan-Magabilin’s arrest, which might have revealed Aragon’s activities; their negligence put other students at risk.

At this point, the school district has no comment on the case.

About “Grooming”

This case and the manner in which Aragon seduced his victim highlights the serious issue of “grooming” through the use of social media. This is a strategy used by all manner of sexual predators, from pedophiles to sex traffickers.

These predators identify their victims in a number of ways; the typical victim is young, female and emotionally and/or psychologically vulnerable. The predator takes advantage of the victim’s state of mind, using manipulation and emotional blackmail. In the case of public school teachers who draw students into illicit relationships, a teacher may offer excess praise and frequent compliments, or even personal assistance such as a ride home or spare cash.

Unfortunately, because those kind of actions are not necessarily illegal, schools have little power to prevent it. Title IX requires faculty members to undergo training in recognizing the signs of sexual assault, abuse and harassment, and school districts are likewise required to investigate all allegations of such crimes according to Voice of San Diego.

However, many of the behaviors and actions associated with grooming can be mistaken for “relating” to students or otherwise explained away.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.