Los Banos Police officer arrested on multiple charges of sex with minor

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Los Banos High School resource officer is in jail after being accused of having sex with two former students.

When news broke that 37-year-old Dusty Norris of Pacheco High School was arrested for allegedly having sexual relations with two female students one former student of his, who graduated in 2014, was not shocked.

"He was a little flirty, but I just figured it was because I knew him," former student Savannah Colon said.

The incidents happened between 2004 and 2007 when Norris worked at Los Banos High School for the Merced County Office of Education.

Police say the two female victims were under the age of 18.

Another Los Banos teacher, Gary Bettencourt, was arrested in February after being accused of having sexual relationships with students at Los Banos and Pacheco High Schools.

Officials say it wasn't until detectives started looking him they started looking into Norris.

"And any of the victims from Bettencourt the same victims for Norris as well?" an Action News reporter asked.

"There is one victim that is shared," Chief Deputy District Attorney of Merced County Hall Nutt said.

Colon says that though the alleged behavior took place at a different school and almost seven years ago, in a small town like Los Banos rumors of it stuck around.

"You would hear, 'Oh, did you hear about Mr. Norris' and so-and-so" she said.

Jason Hedden with the Los Banos Police Department says Norris is not the person he and other officers know.

"We hold our police officers and educators to a higher standard," he said. "And that standard wasn't met with this."