Orange County Man Accused of Blackmailing School Teacher for Cash, Nude Photos

The band teacher was known to blow the mouth organ in her spare time.

ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA– An Anaheim man is accused of blackmailing a high school band teacher by threatening to tell authorities that she was having sex with students unless she handed over cash and mailed him nude photos of herself.

Carlie Attebury, an El Modena High School band teacher, reported the alleged blackmail effort but ultimately was arrested herself on suspicion of having sex with a minor.

Orange County Deputy Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said 23-year-old Miguel Lopez had the opportunity to be a Good Samaritan by telling authorities of his suspicions about the band instructor but instead committed a crime himself.

“We would have given him a big pat on the back,” said Spitzer, a former county supervisor and state assemblyman. “Instead, he crossed the line into criminal misconduct when he tried to benefit from the case.”

Lopez has been charged with extortion and is free on $20,000 bail.

Lopez and Attebury, 29, were part of a group called the Vanguard Percussion Ensemble, made up of current and former high school students. Lopez found out about Attebury’s suspected affairs in early 2008 and sent Attebury messages saying that he knew of the affairs and demanding $20,000, Spitzer said.

Lopez, through online aliases, eventually agreed to lower the price to $3,500 if Attebury would send nude photos of herself, Spitzer said. After the teacher sent dozens of explicit photos of herself, Lopez increased the demand again to $4,500, Spitzer said. No money was ever exchanged, he said.

Attebury contacted the Orange Police Department in June 2008 and police tracked Lopez down.

Lopez was eventually arrested on the extortion charges and will be tried in April.

Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times