D.A. adds third victim to case against MH teacher

Authorities added another victim to the criminal complaint against Paradise Valley Elementary School teacher John Loyd, 52 of Hollister, and a judge denied the suspected child molester’s request to reduce bail at an Oct. 20 hearing. 

Loyd remains in custody at Santa Clara County Jail with no bail, on charges that he sexually assaulted three female victims. At least one of the children was a student at Paradise Valley who was assaulted by Loyd in his fifth-grade classroom, according to authorities.

Investigators have declined to release any further information about the other two victims.

Loyd pleaded not guilty to a total of five charges at the Oct. 20 hearing at South County Courthouse, where Superior Court Judge Alfonso Fernandez heard and denied his request to reduce bail. 

With the latest charge added to the list of allegations against Loyd Oct. 20, he now faces five counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. Each charge carries a penalty of 15 years to life in prison. 

Loyd was arrested by Morgan Hill police Oct. 2, after a student at Paradise Valley reported to another staff member that the teacher made inappropriate contact with her. 

The ongoing investigation has found that Loyd made similar contact with two other students, according to authorities. 

Loyd has been a teacher at MHUSD since 2000. He has taught at Paradise Valley Elementary School since 2008.

The Morgan Hill Unified School District placed Loyd on administrative leave immediately after his arrest, according to MHUSD staff. As of his first court appearance Oct. 7, that leave has been unpaid. 

Loyd’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 13 to set a preliminary hearing date.