A Redwood City math tutor who once helped local kids with homework is now headed to jail for a year after authorities say he tried to hook up with a 17-year-old coworker he met through work.
Pouya Asrar, 38, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in county jail after pleading no contest to attempting to meet the teen for sex. Prosecutors say the case grew out of explicit GroupMe messages he sent in November 2023 and a planned meet-up that turned into an undercover sting. Along with the jail term, the judge ordered two years of supervised probation and required Asrar to register as a sex offender after his release. He remains out on bail for now and has been ordered to surrender next month.
Asrar’s plea came on Aug. 22 to a single felony count tied to going to an arranged meeting place with a minor he worked with. At Monday’s hearing, the court formally imposed the one-year jail sentence and two years of probation. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the court that Asrar must turn himself in on Jan. 26, 2026, and that he will have to register as a sex offender. He has been out on a $50,000 bail bond, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post.
Backstory: Plea Deal Trimmed The Case
Before Asrar took the deal, prosecutors had filed multiple felony counts. Those were later dismissed as part of the agreement, leaving him to face just the single felony connected to showing up at the planned meeting spot with the minor. The dropped charges included attempted statutory rape and attempted sodomy, among others, which would have exposed him to a far longer prison term if the case had gone to trial. Details of the charge reductions and plea were previously reported by the Redwood City Pulse.
How The Undercover Sting Unfolded
Investigators say Asrar met the girl while working at a Mathnasium tutoring center, where both were employed. In November 2023, he allegedly started sending her messages on GroupMe, even after being told she was 17. At that point, detectives stepped in, took over the chat, and set up a midday meeting at the Wendy’s on El Camino Real.
When Asrar showed up, officers arrested him on the spot and reported finding condoms on him. Police later searched his home for additional evidence. They also asked anyone with information to contact the Redwood City Police Department at 650-780-7100, according to earlier coverage by KTVU.
What The Sex Offender Order Means
The court’s registration order means Asrar must follow California’s sex offender rules after he gets out. Those requirements can include showing up in person for yearly updates, quickly reporting any change of address, and, depending on the offense tier, having his information listed on the state’s public Megan’s Law website. Skipping any of those duties can itself lead to new criminal charges and more supervision. The California Department of Justice lays out those obligations on its Megan's Law site.
