Teacher Accused of Sex With Student Could Face 50 Years

A Murrieta man facing multiple felony charges for an alleged year-long sexual relationship with a teenage girl who had been one of his students was briefly taken back into custody today when a judge upped his bail.

James Seishin Pinckard, 56, could face more than 50 years in prison if convicted of 13 counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor, oral copulation of a minor and indecent exposure.

The James L. Day Middle School teacher was before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michael Rushton. But at the request of defense attorney David Grande, the hearing was postponed to Jan. 17.

However, when the prosecution made Rushton aware that Pinckard was free on $5,000 bail—an amount too low under the state's bail schedule per the pending charges—the judge increased the bond to $50,000 and sheriff's deputies took the defendant back into custody.

Pinckard was detained in the courtroom and allowed two hours to post the new bond, or else be booked into the Southwest Detention Center. He came up with the bail and was released.

The defendant, a math instructor at Day Middle School for the last decade, was after the arrest,

According to Murrieta police Sgt. Phil Gomez, on the night of Nov. 9, patrol officers were sent to 41771 Corporate Center Court to check out a burglar alarm sounding at a business.

Officers spotted a van parked at the location and questioned the driver, Pinckard, discovering a 17-year-old girl "hiding in the rear of the van," Gomez said.

"Investigation revealed Pinckard and the juvenile ... (had) been involved in an ongoing sexual relationship for over one year," the sergeant alleged.

The girl had attended Pinckard's math class.

The judge issued a criminal protective order today prohibiting any contact between the defendant and alleged victim.