Jose Bernardo Fanjul, 45, an honors teacher in U.S. history, was charged earlier this month with multiple counts of having sex with the girl, who turned 16 in July.

Last year, counselor Marco R. Herrera, 53, went to prison after pleading guilty to sexually molesting the girl when she was 14.

During a Sept. 18 bail hearing for Fanjul, prosecutors acknowledged the girl was "sexually posturing" with a third teacher. While arguing to reduce Fanjul's bail, defense attorney Kenneth Brown pointed to that allegation and the girl's subsequent departure from the school.

An administrator reportedly said, "I hope that she never comes back because she is a predator," Brown told 3rd District Judge Ann Boyden.

But prosecutor Cristina Ortega countered that the teen's contact with the third teacher shows that student advances can be handled professionally.

"That teacher did the right thing: He notified the school, she was kicked out of the class and that was terminated," Ortega said.

She also said police allegedly found text messages sent by Fanjul, asking another teenager if he could be her boyfriend. Boyden refused to reduce Fanjul's bail of $200,000, and on Tuesday he was still behind bars at the Salt Lake County jail. He is on leave pending a school investigation. A preliminary hearing on the criminal charges is set for Oct. 28.

Brown said this week that Fanjul denies having sex with the girl.

West High School Principal Margery Parker declined to comment on the unnamed administrator's reported description of the girl as a "predator."

But the description drew criticism from Heather Stringfellow, executive director of Rape Recovery Center. Utah law holds adults responsible for sexual relationships with underage partners, she said.

"We have to stay focused that teachers in a position of trust who are much older and choose to have sexual relations with students are not only criminal but troubling to the school district," Stringfellow said.

To "take the focus off the fact a 40-plus teacher chose to have sexual relations with her is misguided," Stringfellow added.

Herrera is serving three consecutive one-to-15-year prison terms. The girl's father wrote to the sentencing judge that the counselor had manipulated the girl, and that "words cannot describe the impact" of the abuse.

"Despite the fact that she has consistent long-term therapy because of her abuse by Mr. Herrera, [her] progress will continue to require considerable time," the father wrote.

The Tribune generally does not identify the victims of sex crimes.

Jason Olsen, a spokesman for Salt Lake City School District, said its anti-harassment policy applies to allegations of student overtures to teachers, but discipline would depend on the case. He declined to say whether the girl is still enrolled at West High.

Fanjul is charged with 10 felonies for allegedly abusing the girl between March 1 and July 31. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

ncarlisle@sltrib.com

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* BEN FULTON contributed to this report.