Former Soledad teacher pleads no contest in sex abuse case

A former Soledad High School teacher has pleaded no contest in the sex abuse case against him.

Jacob Browne, 31, pleaded no contest to felony possession of child pornography, felony arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, and misdemeanor child molestation.

Browne was arrested in April after an investigation into allegations that he had sexually abused a teenage girl. Prosecutors said Browne also solicited sexually explicit photographs of the teen, sent sexually explicit texts to her, and eventually molested her while on school grounds.

Prosecutors say Browne also admitted to investigators that he has searched the Internet specifically for child pornography.

Browne was expected to be sentenced to three years in state prison on Oct. 24. A full sentencing hearing was held but the judge decided more time was needed to evaluate victims’ impact statements and other information. A new sentencing date was set for Dec. 5, the District Attorney’s Office said.