Parlier High boys basketball coach jailed in student sex case

Parlier High School’s boys basketball coach Francisco Pena was arrested Saturday night on charges of having sex with a minor, the school district confirmed. He is the second Parlier High boys basketball coach since 2014 to face sex-crime charges.

Pena, 37, of Parlier, is charged with two counts of oral copulation with a minor under 18 and one count of unlawful sex with a minor, according to jail records.

“This arrest has greatly impacted us all and particularly one student and her family,” said Parlier Superintendent Edward Lucero.

Pena was booked into Fresno County Jail, where his bail stands at $110,000.

Parlier police said Pena was employed by Youth Centers of America as a youth activities coordinator and worked part time coaching the Parlier High boys varsity basketball team.

Parlier police asked that anyone with information about the case call the department at (559) 646-6600 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-498-STOP (7867).

In 2014, Anthony Joseph Lepore, who was then Parlier High School’s boys basketball coach, was arrested on charges of sex crimes against a minor. His tentative trial date is July 11.

This story was originally published May 22, 2016 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Parlier High boys basketball coach jailed in student sex case."