LA guidance counselor accused of sleeping with 16-year-old student

Guidance counselor accused of sex with student

Julie Tichon, a former guidance counselor at a West Los Angeles High School has been arrested, accused of having sex with a 16-year-old student. The Los Angeles Police Department said it's looking for other potential victims.

Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.

LOS ANGELES — A guidance counselor working at a high school in West Los Angeles has been accused of having sex with a teenage boy on multiple occasions, and detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department are now seeking additional victims.

On August 29, investigators arrested 37-year-old Julie Tichon, a resident of Los Angeles, for a series of sexual assaults involving a 16-year-old boy between February and March of 2024.

Tichon worked as a school guidance counselor at YULA High School in West Los Angeles, but she has since left the school, the LAPD said.

Julie Tichon. (Credit: LAPD) (FOX 11)

On September 19, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Tichon with three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and one count of oral copulation of a person under 18.

"The suspect used her position of responsibility to gain these victims’ trust, then began inappropriate sexual relationships with them," said Detective Russ Hess. "Rather than advising them, she was abusing them."

YULA High School – Los Angeles Yeshiva High School. (FOX 11)

Though she is charged with assaulting a single victim, investigators believe there may be other students who have yet to come forward who could potentially add to the criminal case.

If convicted on the current charges, Tichon could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

In a statement to FOX 11, YULA said that the school's "highest priority is the safety and wellness of our students. Out of respect and sensitivity for the privacy of our school community, we are not going to discuss details related to the recent news reports," adding that the school has fully cooperated with the investigation.