Modesto junior high staff member arrested on child molestation charges, police say
A staff member at La Loma Junior High School was arrested Tuesday on multiple felony charges involving alleged inappropriate conduct with minors, according to the Modesto Police Department.
Police said 23-year-old Lawrence Harris, a paraprofessional at La Loma Junior High School, was arrested Jan. 20 and charged with sending harmful material to a minor with intent to seduce and two counts of annoying or molesting a child under 18 — one felony and one misdemeanor.
Investigators said three victims have come forward. All are minors.
Harris was arrested at the school and booked into the Stanislaus County jail, police said. The investigation remains ongoing.
In a message sent Tuesday to families and staff at La Loma and Downey High School, officials with Modesto City Schools said Harris had been removed from campus and no longer has access to school or district property.
“This morning, the administration at La Loma Junior High School was made aware of a concern regarding a staff member,” the district wrote. “Modesto police responded to the campus and arrested an employee in connection with an investigation involving inappropriate communication with one or more students.”
District officials said Harris worked as a paraprofessional at La Loma and also served as a football and basketball coach at Downey. He served as a junior varsity football assistant coach during the 2025 season and head coach of the school’s freshman boys basketball team for the 2025–26 season.
“The safety of our students is a responsibility we take seriously,” the district said. “We are taking all appropriate steps to protect our school community and are cooperating fully with law enforcement as their investigation continues.”
Because the case is an active investigation and a personnel matter, the district said it is limited in what additional details it can share at this time.
Police ask anyone with information related to the investigation to contact Detective Salinas at 209-342-6131. Anyone wishing to share information anonymously can contact the Modesto Police Department at 209-552-2470.
Authorities said additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 9:59 AM.
