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Crime & Safety

Former Dance Instructor Pleads Not Guilty in Sex-ting Case

The pre-trial hearing of John Jull Nielson of Cerritos, accused of sending sexually suggestive text messages to a 15-year-old girl, is set for July 20 in Santa Ana.

John Jull Nielson of Cerritos, a former dance instructor who is accused of misdemeanor child annoyance, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday morning at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Nielson, 53, was arrested February 29 and booked at the Santa Ana city fail for allegedly sending sexually suggestive text messages to a 15-year-old girl while teaching at Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana. He started working at the high school part-time in September 2010 and was fired on Jan. 13, according to a school spokeswoman.

Nielson is out on $15,000 bail. His pre-trial hearing is scheduled for July 20, 8:30 a.m. in Dept. C54 at the Central Justice Center, Santa Ana, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

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Nielson sent numerous text messages to the girl between Oct. 15 and Jan. 11, according to the OCDA's office. The texts contained "revealing information about his personal life, prosecutors allege. Nielsen is accused of having "sexually inappropriate conversations'' with the girl and asking her for an “exclusive” dating relationship, according to the D.A.'s office and police.

Nielson has also taught ballroom dance lessons to children and adults through the city of Cerritos and at  in Artesia.

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The married father of three could face up to a year in jail and be forced to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life if convicted.

For a complete account of the story, .

Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Santa Ana police Det. Ed Zaragoza at (714) 245-8351 or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Carl Waddell at (714) 834-7538.

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