Pahrump man arrested in connection with sexual assault of student

A Nye County School District employee was arrested Tuesday in connection with the sexual assault of a 17-year-old student.

Jose Manuel Bautista, 28, of Pahrump, was booked into the county jail after the Nye County Sheriff’s Office said he confessed to sexual misconduct with the girl.

Bautista was employed by the school district as a paraprofessional assistant working with special needs students.

The sheriff’s office has accused Bautista of engaging in lewd conversations with the student on social media before taking her to his home.

Officers executed a search warrant at Bautista’s home and said he may have been under the influence of narcotics when he engaged in sex acts with the student, the sheriff’s office said.

Bautista was booked on counts of sexual assault, child sexual abuse, unlawful sexual acts by a school employee with a pupil, use and possession of drug paraphernalia, under the influence of a controlled substance, the sheriff’s office said.

Bail was set at $350,000.

Anyone with more information on the case can contact the Nye County Sheriff’s Office at 775-751- 7000.

Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Follow @ravenmjackson on Twitter.