TOLLESON, Ariz. — A former University High School teacher was indicted last week for allegedly grooming and sexually abusing students several years ago.
Daniel Goman, 37, has been charged with abusing two underage girls he taught back when he was a history teacher in the Tolleson Union High School District.
Court records show Goman resigned from his teaching position in 2015 after the school discovered inappropriate messages he allegedly sent a student.
But criminal charges were not filed by Phoenix police until this year after two former students came forward with allegations involving sexual misconduct against Goman.
According to a report written by police, witnesses said Goman displayed "grooming behavior" to his female students by mentoring them, giving them more attention, and allowing them to spend extra time in his classroom.
The teacher would allegedly give out his cell phone number to students and would engage in flirtatious text conversations with them.
One former student accused Goman of sexually assaulting her inside his classroom in 2014.
About a year later, school administrators showed police text messages allegedly exchanged between the student and Goman. The teacher allegedly admitted to sending sexually-explicit messages and agreed to resign, court records show.
Tolleson police appear to have decided not to investigate the matter further nor pursue criminal charges against Goman at the time.
"Victim 1 was not contacted by Tolleson Police Department as they did not believe she desired prosecution," investigators wrote in court filings.
Goman voluntarily surrendered his teaching license a couple of months after his resignation in 2015, according to Arizona Board of Education records.
Another former student claimed Goman assaulted her in 2016 after he started sending her messages through Instagram. Shortly after the student turned 18, she claimed she and Goman would frequently meet at a Phoenix hotel to have sex.
A report written by police suggests Goman may have allegedly had inappropriate relationships with other students.
The indictment filed on Nov. 5 in Maricopa County Superior Court charges Goman with sexual abuse and sexual conduct with a minor. He was taken into custody and was scheduled to be arraigned in court on Nov. 12.
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