Redding woman charged with sex acts involving Orland wrestler

A Redding mother faces nearly a dozen felony sex charges in Glenn County after investigators said she had intercourse with an Orland High School wrestler on multiple occasions.

Laura Michelle Gallegos, 38, a former teacher’s aide at Shasta High School, surrendered voluntarily to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Sheriff Larry Jones said in a statement.

It was not clear exactly when Gallegos left her position at the Redding high school, but sheriff’s Lt. Richard Warren said it was shortly after the investigation began in April.

A phone call to the Shasta High School administration was not immediately returned.

Gallegos reportedly gave herself up before detectives had notified her of the arrest warrant and, Jones said, she may have learned about her pending arrest from monitoring the Glenn County court website.

In addition to the sexual relationship, authorities also believe Gallegos sent sexually explicit material to another Orland student, age 15, via cell phone.

The Sheriff’s Office received a complaint April 11 from a parent of the 15-year-old in question.

The woman, whose name was withheld by authorities to protect her son’s identity, said the Orland wrestling team was participating in a tournament in Reno, Nev., when parents first learned of the alleged relationships, Jones stated.

Parents had been discussing their sons cell phone contacts when two parents realized both their sons had been receiving calls and texts from the same cell number, Jones said.

“It was determined to have come from Gallegos,” Jones said.

When first confronted, Jones said, the 15-year-old admitted to “sexting” with Gallegos.

The boy reportedly told his parents he first met Gallegos at a wrestling function.
Investigators later learned of a possible sexual relationship with the reported 17-year-old victim.

The older boy admitted meeting Gallegos around March 11 in Red Bluff where he said they “engaged in sex acts” inside a car, according to Jones.

School records reportedly show the alleged victim missed the second half of school on that day, authorities said.

The boy also claimed that Gallegos “performed a sex act on him” while seated in the stands at the wrestling finals in Bakersfield. An additional sexual meeting was committed in Corning, Jones said.

Warren said investigators have found no evidence of any other relationships, but have not ruled out the possibility either.

Phone calls to OHS Principal Jeff Scheele and wrestling coach Victor Perry were not immediately returned.

The Glenn County District Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution, including the reported Tehama and Kern County incidents, authorities said.

Gallegos was booked Tuesday in the Glenn County Jail on 10 felony charges including multiple counts of exhibiting lewd material to a minor, contacting a minor to commit lewd acts, arranging meetings with a minor to commit lewd acts, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger and one count of oral copulation.

She reportedly posted a $110,000 bail bond and was released. Gallegos is due to appear in Glenn County Superior Court on Sept. 21 in Orland.