Teacher's Hacked Email Account Sends His Nude Photos to Students

The ex-boyfriend of a California high school science teacher allegedly broke into the educator’s email account and distributed indecent images of the man to hundreds of youths and local adults.

The pictures were sent from the school email address of John Muir High School teacher Richard Rosa.

An investigation began in July when more than 200 students, school staff and community members received the email containing four naked pictures of the well-respected teacher.

John Muir High School spokesman Adam Wolfson said school officials notified the police.

“We let Pasadena PD know because of the content of the email and because minors were on the distribution list,” Wolfson said. The Altadena police station also got calls from email recipients.

Student Devin Perry created a “Save Mr. Rosa” petition on MoveOn.org.

“Mr. Rosa is one of the most professional teachers I know and I would hate for a great teacher to lose a job based on a mistake that may have been an accident,” the petitioner wrote. “Considering John Muir High School has a bad reputation, he’s one of the best teachers who cares about the students and actually shows that he wants to be there.”

The district uses a Google email system specifically for education. Wolfson said the district is evaluating its online security system.

Detectives later learned that Rosa was out of the country at the time the emails were generated.

“Further investigation revealed the e-mails were sent by Rosa’s estranged partner, David A. Galvan, who had unlawfully accessed Mr. Rosa’s Pasadena Unified School District e-mail account. Suspect [David Antonio] Galvan was reportedly angry over the relationship ending when he distributed the obscene pictures,” Pasadena police Lt. Terysa Rojas told San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office issued a $110,000 warrant for Galvan’s arrest.

He was apprehended by U.S. Marshal’s officials in Oregon after fleeing the state.