Hampton man charged with sexual exploitation by school employee pleads guilty to lesser charge

HAMPTON — A Hampton man charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

A criminal complaint filed in Franklin County District Court says Hampton police were alerted on December 21st of 2022 of an allegation of a possible sexual relationship between an employee and a female juvenile student. The complaint says 28-year-old Ismael Rodriguez Torres was a coach of a sports team the female victim was participating in. The investigation into the alleged offense found that the defendant had a relationship with the student that turned sexual in the early part of December 2022.

Police say that Torres told them he did have sex on several occasions while parked at a local parking lot and while at his home. The victim also told authorities that Torres provided marijuana on one occasion while in his car in November 2022.

Torres was charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee, a Class D felony. On Monday, Torres pleaded guilty to one count of lascivious conduct with a minor, an aggravated misdemeanor. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a suspended two-year prison sentence with credit for time served as well as two years probation.

Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24th.