Modesto music/band teacher arrested on suspicion of molesting student under 18
Detectives arrested an Enochs High School teacher at his home Monday afternoon as the result of an investigation into an inappropriate relationship with a student, the Modesto Police Department announced.
Patrick Mester, 61, was arrested by detectives with the Special Victims Unit on suspicion of annoying or molesting a child under the age of 18. He remained behind bars Tuesday afternoon, with bail set at $5,000. No court appearance had yet been set.
Modesto City Schools issued a news release saying it was notified by the Police Department of the teacher’s arrest and “took immediate action to ensure he has zero contact with students, as well as revoked his right to visit our facilities. This directive will continue to be in place as the criminal matter proceeds.”
Mester has been employed by the school district since the 2003-04 school year. He has worked at Enochs since the 2007-08 school year as a music/band teacher. Mester completed all pre-employment requirements, including fingerprint clearance and background checks, the district said. He also received annual training on the prevention of harassment and child abuse reporting.
“MCS has made arrangements to ensure student instruction is not disrupted due to Mr. Mester’s arrest,” the release said.
“MPD and Modesto City Schools will continue working together to make the safety of students a priority,” the Police Department said in its news release. It asked that anyone with additional information on the investigation, contact Detective Garza at Garzaj@modestopd.com or 209-572-9564.
A police spokeswoman had no immediately available information on when the alleged relationship began and how long it lasted.
Mester’s first position with Modesto City Schools was in the 2003-04 school year at Beyer High as a music teacher, a district spokeswoman said.
In the 2007-08 school year, he was on a split assignment as a music teacher between Beyer and Enochs. Starting in the 2008-09 school year, he went to Enochs full time.
Mester’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages do not include information on his career prior to Modesto City Schools, and if police have determined that, they did not release it Tuesday.
This story was originally published March 2, 2021 at 12:45 PM.
