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Former Las Cruces Teacher Accused Of Illegal Contact With Student

  A Centennial High School teacher suspected of having inappropriate sexual contact with a student has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies.

Phillip Hernandez, 25, of the 700 block of Homestead Circle, is charged with three counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor. The three counts are all fourth-degree felonies.

On April 16, 2014, a 17-year-old student at Centennial disclosed to school administrators and a school resource officer that Hernandez, the boy’s theater arts teacher, had touched him inappropriately on multiple occasions.

The student disclosed that Hernandez began touching and fondling him in October 2013 and continued until the fall semester ended in December. Detectives learned that Hernandez illegally touched the boy at least one more time when classes resumed in January.

Detectives learned that sometime after the January incident Hernandez grew upset and began to ridicule the boy and talk negatively of him in front of other students. The incidents of criminal sexual contact are alleged to have occurred both on and off campus.

Las Cruces Police have learned that Hernandez has since resigned from his position with the Las Cruces Public School District.

Hernandez was arrested Tuesday, April 29, and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center with a cash-only bond set at $15,000.

Information from: Las Cruces Police