EPHRATA — A former Spanish teacher at Moses Lake High School was charged for allegedly having sex with a student.

Alex Garza, 27, Pasco, Wash., is charged with sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree and tampering with a witness in Grant Count Superior Court.

If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison for each charge.

Garza pleaded not guilty to the charges on Dec. 22, according to court records.

He is scheduled for trial on March 17.

Garza was a first-year teacher working at Moses Lake High School on March 3, 2007, when he reportedly went to a party with the victim and three other juveniles, according to a Moses Lake police report. Witnesses reported Garza was drunk by the end of the party.

He, his younger brother, the victim and another girl allegedly left the party at roughly midnight to go to Garza’s house. While there, his younger brother and the other girl left the house because she had to go home.

During the time Garza and the 16 year-old victim were alone, they allegedly had sex, according to court records.

The girl reportedly told friends later she was pregnant with Garza’s child, according to the police report.

Police were informed about the alleged incident after one of the victim’s friends turned in a series of notes the victim wrote to her seeking advice about the possible child, according to the police.

Four days after the incident, she denied they had sex, telling police they only slept in the same bed.

Nearly a year later, on May 8, 2008, the victim gave another statement to police stating she did have sex with Garza, according to court records.

When she was asked why she originally denied the incident to police, she stated Garza told her not to because he would go to prison, according to the police report.

Garza was placed on paid administrative leave when the investigation began and the Moses Lake School District declined to renew his employment contract for the 2008-2009 school year.

The Columbia Basin Herald was unable to reach Garza for comment.