LONG BEACH (CNS) - A man who teaches at a high school in Huntington Beach was arrested today at his Long Beach home on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage boy, who investigators suspect was plied with alcohol and drugs after being befriended and given a place to live. Police believe the suspect, 43-year-old Andrew Bueno Potts of Long Beach, may also have victimized others. An investigation was launched after the 17-year-old alleged victim came forward in July, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Detectives allege the Potts sexually assaulted the teen on three occasions between July and December of last year, with one attempted sexual assault also occurring during that period. The teen was never a student at Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, where Potts teaches, police said.
``Potts met the victim when the victim attended a school function hosted by Ocean View High School,'' according to an LBPD statement.
``The suspect befriended the victim, and eventually took the victim in to live with him.''Police allege that two assaults occurred at the suspect's home and one in San Francisco.``At the time of the assaults, the suspect would provide the victim with alcohol and alkyl nitrate, a chemical sometimes used as a euphoric inhalant,'' police allege.
Potts was booked on suspicion of sodomy, sex with a foreign object, oral copulation of a minor and sending harmful material, all with the alleged victim being a minor, as well as separate allegations of sodomy and sexual battery. The case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration.
Potts was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, police said. Anyone who may have been victimized by the suspect was urged to call LBPD Child Abuse Detective Denise Green at (562) 570-7321or police dispatch at (562) 435-6711. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS or at lacrimestoppers.org.