Former El Capitan High employee sentenced to 180 days in jail in case involving a student

A former El Capitan High School employee who was arrested last year after a student reported a sexual assault was sentenced Tuesday, Nov. 10, to 180 days in jail under a plea deal, ABC30 reported.

John Mobley III, 34, pleaded guilty to felony false imprisonment and misdemeanor lewd conduct, according to ABC30. He had originally been charged with a felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse, a charge that applies to sex with someone under 18. The plea agreement meant the case didn’t go to trial.

At Tuesday’s hearing, a Merced County judge also sentenced Mobley to two years and four months of felony probation, according to ABC30. He must complete 12 months of a sex-offender treatment program and pay restitution. Under the agreement, he isn’t required to register as a sex offender. He is scheduled to turn himself in to begin his jail term Jan. 19.

What each side said

Deputy District Attorney Sara Rosenthal told ABC30 the agreement spared the student from having to testify in front of a jury. “It’s always difficult when children are victimized,” she said.

A statement written by the student was read aloud in court. In it, she said she no longer felt safe at school, according to ABC30.

Mobley’s lawyer, Jeffrey Tenenbaum, told ABC30 that Mobley was ready to move on with his life. Asked whether Mobley would work in schools again, Tenenbaum said he might go into higher education.

The arrest

Merced police began investigating on Feb. 18, 2025, after the Merced Union High School District reported a possible sexual assault at El Capitan High between a staff member and a student, the department said in a news release two days later. Mobley had worked at the school as an intervention coordinator since August 2024.

Detectives found Mobley and took him into custody, and he was booked into the Merced County Jail on charges including statutory rape, police said at the time.

In a statement after the arrest, the Merced Union High School District said it placed Mobley on administrative leave as soon as it learned of the reports and began its own investigation, YourCentralValley.com reported. Merced County released his booking photo days later in response to a public records request from that station.

Merced Neighbors doesn’t name people who report sexual assault, and the student’s name and age haven’t been made public.

What’s still unknown

• Which judge handled the case
• The exact charges and code sections in the final plea, which would be in the court record
• How much restitution Mobley must pay
• Whether Mobley still holds a California teaching or services credential

Sources: ABC30, Nov. 10, 2026. Merced Police Department news release, Feb. 20, 2025. GV Wire, Feb. 20, 2025. YourCentralValley.com, Feb. 24, 2025.