Jailed teacher's hearing delayed

<p>The preliminary hearing date has been postponed for a Casa Grande High School teacher who has pled not guilty to four charges stemming from his alleged attempt to have sex with a minor in the South Bay.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The hearing for Scott Dietlin, a 34-year-old history and economics teacher, was scheduled for Feb. 5, but was postponed until Feb. 19. Dietlin is being held at San Mateo County Jail on $700,000 bail, and faces up to five years in prison if he is convicted of the crimes.</p><p>Dietlin was arrested by Burlingame police detectives at 9:45 a.m. on Nov. 22 after a week-long investigation prompted by a correspondence that he had with two Burlingame teenagers on myspace.com. The teens, along with some other friends, posted a photograph and profile of a young woman as a prank. The posting implied that the profile and photo were posted by the woman, and Dietlin then started engaging in e-mails with them.</p><p>After the teens began feeling that Dietlin’s e-mails were inappropriate, they contacted Burlingame police, who started investigating the situation. A Burlingame detective, posing as the teenage girl, then began communicating with Dietlin, and arranged to meet him at a particular time and place to have a possible sexual encounter.</p><p>When Dietlin arrived at the site, Burlingame police arrested Dietlin on charges of sending harmful matter electronically with the intent to seduce a minor, attempting to contact a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, arranging to meet with a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense and traveling to meet the minor. He was booked at San Mateo County Jail on $550,000 bail, but Judge Kathleen McKenna subsequently raised the amount to $700,000.</p><p>After the incident, Burlingame police obtained a search warrant to search his vehicle and home in Petaluma, and reportedly found condoms, as well as a cell phone that police believe he used during the communications.</p><p>Dietlin was placed on administrative leave at Casa Grande High School. Dietlin graduated from the school in 1992, and has taught there for the past nine years.</p><p>(Contact Dan Johnson at dan.johnson@arguscourier.com)</p>