Kennewick martial arts teacher pleads guilty to child molestation

A former Kennewick High School teacher and martial arts instructor pleaded guilty Wednesday to molesting a young teen girl.

Oscar Perez Garnica, 47, admitted he inappropriately touched the martial arts student for sexual purposes.

Garnica told police he was helping the girl with personal problems. When they were alone on Aug. 7, she sat on his lap kissing and talked about having sex, court documents said.

The next day the girl talked to a counselor, who explained he was required by law to report it to police.

Phone records showed more than 400 text messages between the two from late July until Aug. 9, when the girl’s mother took her phone away and got a no-contact order against Garnica, according to court documents.

Garcia was a Kennewick High School teacher and girls bowling coach from 2008 to 2016.

He is scheduled to be sentenced April 19 for third-degree child molestation.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Kennewick martial arts teacher pleads guilty to child molestation."