A former assistant principal and math teacher at San Jose’s Sunrise Middle School has been charged in federal court with attempted sex trafficking of a child and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Ruben Guzman, 32, was arraigned in San Jose after prosecutors say he communicated online with an officer posing as a teenage boy, offered money for sexual acts, and acknowledged the person was underage.
According to The Mercury News, the charges stem from an undercover operation carried out by the San Jose Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force during Super Bowl week, when Guzman was arrested on February 3. The task force coordinated with the FBI and other federal and local agencies for what the report describes as a broader sting, which resulted in the arrests of Guzman and 11 other men ranging in age from 24 to 72.
Federal authorities said Guzman is facing the charges following the arrest, and he was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, authorities said. Per SJPD, Guzman told the minor he wanted to engage in sexual acts and offered money in exchange, while also acknowledging the child was underage.
What the Indictment Alleges
The indictment alleges Guzman attempted to engage in a commercial sex act with a person he believed was under 14, and separately, that he attempted to engage in sexual activities with a person he believed was under 18. If convicted on both counts, Guzman faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, the outlet’s report notes.
Attempted sex trafficking of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, while attempted coercion and enticement of a minor carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years, according to the same account. Guzman could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 fine if convicted.
School Says It Acted Quickly After the Arrest
Sunrise Middle School representative Teresa Robinson said Guzman was let go after his arrest on February 3, according to the report. The school said it has not become aware of allegations involving Sunrise students or misconduct of this nature at the school during the past seven months, and stated that it has prioritized the safety and well-being of its students.
A Similar Case Ended in a 20-Year Sentence
Cases involving school employees accused of targeting children online have surfaced elsewhere in the country. In Connecticut, a former school employee, Alyson Cranick, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercing an 11-year-old boy into sexual activity, according to courant.com.
Cranick pleaded guilty in November 2025 to coercion and enticement of a minor, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Investigators said Cranick exchanged more than 4,700 messages with the boy on Discord between July and October 2022, in a case investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Connecticut State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime Unit.
Guzman was arraigned in San Jose and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
