Feb 11, 2026
(KRON) -- During the week before Super Bowl 60, the San Jose Police Department and FBI conducted an undercover sting operation to identify, locate, and apprehend adults who were seeking minors online to engage in a lewd or lascivious acts, and sexually exploit children. Undercover officers posed as juveniles in online chats. One man busted in the sting was the assistant principal of Sunrise Middle School in San Jose, according to SJPD. The assistant principal was identified as Ruben Guzman, 31, of San Jose. Guzman attempted to meet with a person who he believed was a 13-year-old boy, according to police. In exchange for sex, Guzman allegedly offered to give the "boy" money, SJPD said. Police Sgt. Jorge Garibay wrote, "On the evening of February 3, 2026, suspect Guzman started to communicate with who he believed was a 13-year-old juvenile male. The suspect acknowledged the child was underage and told the minor that he wanted to engage in sexual acts, further enticing the minor by offering money. Guzman arranged to pick up the child in the city of San Jose. But when he arrived, he was apprehended by officers with the SJPD Covert Response Unit who immediately took him into custody." Ruben Guzman is seen in a 2026 mugshot released by the San Jose Police Department. When officers searched Guzman and his vehicle, they found "items consistent with the planned encounter." Investigators also discovered that he was employed at Sunrise Middle School. His professional bio on the charter school's website states that Guzman worked as a teacher for five years, including as a math teacher. "My job as a teacher is to make students believe in themselves and take an active role in their community," his bio states. Sunrise Middle School, located at 1149 E. Julian St., enrolls students between fifth and eighth grades. School administrators were notified about Guzman's arrest and fully cooperated with the investigation, police said. Sgt. Garibay wrote Wednesday, "Because the suspect was employed in a position of trust working with children at the time of arrest, ICAC Detectives believe there may be additional victims." Sunrise Middle School administrators sent a statement to KRON4, writing, "Last Wednesday, we were informed by law enforcement that our assistant principal had been arrested in connection with allegations involving a minor that did not involve our school. Our immediate priority was student safety. The individual was removed from campus right away and will have no further contact with students. Since then, we have spoken with students in age-appropriate ways, communicated directly with families, and made counseling support available on campus. At this time, there is no information indicating that any Sunrise students were involved. While this is deeply upsetting, it does not reflect who we are as a school." Anyone with information about this case, or similar cases, is asked to contact Detective Minten of the San Jose Police Internet Crimes Against Children / Child Exploitation Detail task force by emailing [email protected], or call 408-277-4102. Los Gatos Party Mom’s text messages shown at trial A Santa Clara County Office of Education spokesperson told KRON4, "The Santa Clara County Board of Education is the charter authorizer for Sunrise Middle School; however, the school operates independently. We are deeply grateful to the San Jose Police Department, the ICAC Task Force, the FBI, and all involved agencies for their swift action and continued commitment to protecting children and our community." Guzman was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of communicating with a minor for sex. The assistant principal was one of 11 men who were arrested during the undercover sting, between February 3 and February 6. They were identified by police as: Cesar Rodriguez-Vela, 35, of San Jose Jose Garcia-Hernandez, 25, of San Jose Nelson Mejia-Rivas, 36, of Santa Clara Dexter Goody, 72, of San Jose Luis Medina De Leon, 36, of Hayward Gonzalo Yesca, 25, of Milpitas Michael Valdeolivar, 42, of San Bruno Harjeet Singh, 24, of Santa Clara Joey Minh Truc Nguyen, 35, of San Jose Frank Huang, 58, of San Jose The men were booked into jail on suspicion of attempting lewd acts with a minor, arranging meetings with a minor for sexual purposes, and other crimes related to child exploitation. ...read more read less
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