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Former school aide pleads guilty to lewd acts

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A former afterschool program aide was convicted Thursday of sending lewd photographs of himself to three boys and attempting to meet an 11-year-old for sex acts at a 7-Eleven in Fountain Valley.

Miguel Antonio Mendoza, 21, of Orange pleaded guilty to a court offer to one felony count each of lewd acts upon a child under 14 and attempted lewd act upon a child under 14, and three felony counts each of possession and control of child pornography and distributing pornography to a minor.

He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and lifetime sex offender registration. The prosecution advocated for a sentence of three years in state prison, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

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Mendoza, a former part-time aide at Villa Park Elementary School, was charged with sending nude photographs of himself to three boys ages 11, 15 and 17 and instructing them to send similar photos to him. On Aug. 29, 2010, he arranged to meet the 11-year-old boy shortly before midnight at a 7-Eleven at Euclid Street and Warner Avenue in Fountain Valley.

Before the meeting could take place, the boy’s mother noticed inappropriate text messages and pictures on her son’s cell phone and contacted the Fountain Valley Police Department. Mendoza was arrested upon arrival at the 7-Eleven.

michael.miller@latimes.com

Twitter: @MichaelMillerHB

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