Burlingame police arrest Petaluma teacher in minor's solicitation
By: Beth Winegarner
Examiner Staff Writer
November 23, 2008
BURLINGAME — A Petaluma high school teacher is expected to be arraigned Monday in San Mateo County Court on charges that he sent electronic messages to a minor, hoping to seduce the youngster.
Police arrested Scott Eugene Dietlin, 34, at an undisclosed location in San Mateo on Saturday morning, where he allegedly had made arrangements to meet with the minor, according to a report from the Burlingame Police Department.
Dietlin has taught history and economics at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma for the past 10 years, according to Burlingame police Sgt. Edward Nakiso.
Local police caught wind of Dietlin's alleged activities after two local teens established a profile on MySpace and posted a photo of a young woman as though it were her profile, according to Nakiso.
"Our suspect had started engaging in e-mails with them, and when the minors realized something wasn't right, they came forward to police," Nakiso said.
Another Burlingame detective, posing as a teenage girl, struck up communication with Dietlin, who then allegedly arranged a time to meet with the "teen" in San Mateo for a potential sexual encounter, according to Nakiso.
Dietlin was booked into San Mateo County Jail, where he remains in custody on $550,000 bail, according to Nakiso. After obtaining a warrant, Burlingame police searched his vehicle and his home in Petaluma, where they reportedly found condoms, a computer and a cell phone police believed were used in the communications.
