School counselor accused of molesting 13-year-old girl faces judge

Conner Chanove, a school counselor accused of molesting a 13-year-old student, pleaded not guilty to four felony charges in a Vista courtroom Monday afternoon. Deputy District Attorney Jessica Stehr says it happened November 18 at Guajome Lake Park in Oceanside. The teen’s mother, using a tracking app, says she found her daughter in the backseat of Chanove’s car. “When she opened the door, she found that the defendant had his pants down,” Stehr said. Stehr says the teen admitted to Oceanside police that she kissed Chanove and touched him below the waist. She says Chanove is a counselor at the victim’s school in the Vista Unified School District and that the two set up the meeting at the park over social media. Chanove, who also worked as a girl’s water polo coach in the North County and as a lifeguard in Carlsbad, is currently in custody. MORE: