Henderson police arrest Calif. high school employee on sex charges

A California high school athletic director was arrested Tuesday night in Henderson on charges of statutory sexual seduction with a 15-year-old California girl.

Juan Ivan Barajas, 36, an employee at San Gabriel Mission High School in San Gabriel, California, was pulled over by a Henderson police officer Tuesday afternoon.

The officer noticed a black Lexus parked on the side of the road at 1550 E. Galleria Drive about noon, but Barajas saw the officer and drove away, Henderson police said.

Police said the license plate was run through the National Crime Information Center, and the system indicated that a possible runaway girl could be in the vehicle with Barajas. The girl had been listed as missing since Friday.

The officer conducted a traffic stop, and Barajas and the girl were interviewed by detectives. Barajas was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Barajas was booked at the Henderson Detention Center on six counts of statutory sexual seduction.

The man and girl are suspected of having a consensual sexual relationship since May, but the girl is not of the age of consent and cannot agree to have sex with an adult, according to Nevada law.

She will be reunited with her family Wednesday.

Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.