Part-time CSULB lecturer arrested for allegedly ‘contacting a minor with the intent to have sex’

A part-time Cal State Long Beach biology lecturer has been arrested after allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor surfaced last week, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.

Eric Brothwell, 44, was arrested at his Tustin home Monday, according department spokesperson Sgt. Matthew Parrish. Brothwell is being held at the Orange County Jail on a charge of contacting a minor with the intent to have sex, Parrish said.

No bail amount has been set because Brothwell has not yet been arraigned, according to Parrish.

The allegations against Brothwell became public after People v. Preds, an activist group that conducts online sting operations similar to the former TV show “To Catch a Predator,” approached Brothwell in a classroom at Saddleback College, as first reported by the Long Beach Current. In videos posted to social media, a man identified only as Josh confronted Brothwell regarding an alleged conversation on the LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr.

In the conversation, after being told the person he was chatting with was “almost 15” years old, Brothwell allegedly asked, “What trouble are you trying to get into on here?” Other alleged messages included sexual position preferences, asking if the boy was “hung” and other highly explicit sexual remarks and questions.

During the exchange with Josh, Brothwell did not deny the allegations but said he did not believe the person was really 14.

“Are you asking if I ever touched him? No, I did not touch him,” Brothwell said.

When asked “how many kids” he is talking to, Brothwell just said, “kids are baby goats” and again noted that he never met or interacted with the supposed 14-year-old “child.”

A review of the penal code by the law office of Cron, Israels and Stark states the felony crime does not require physical interaction to take place, but rather the crime is the attempt itself. The penalties could include up to 14 years in state prison, registering as a sex offender and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the law group.

“I’m sorry I spoke to someone who evidently was underage,” Brothwell said to Josh in the People v. Peds video.

Brothwell ended the interaction abruptly when a campus police officer entered the room. Josh was then asked to leave the classroom and wait in the hall where another officer took down his information in an interaction that was posted in a separate video.

In one of the subsequent videos, Josh claims that 229 people have been arrested as a result of People v. Peds operations in the last three years.

Without asking to see the evidence in Josh’s possession, campus police told him to leave campus, threatening him with a trespassing violation. Officers also let Brothwell leave in a move Josh said could allow him to delete evidence.

In a statement issued March 6, CSULB officials said they were aware of the allegations, that they “take these concerns very seriously, and the individual has been directed not to return to campus.”

The university declined to comment further on the situation Monday, including to clarify whether Brothwell has been fired — even after being notified that Brothwell had been arrested.

After questions from the Watchdog, the university did update its statement, noting that “new instructors have been identified for the two impacted biology classes, so students' progress will not be affected.”

Brothwell’s nameplate has been removed from his office in the Hall of Science, according to the Current, replaced by another professor of biology in the department.

Saddleback College, meanwhile, explicitly stated that Brothwell had been fired from his part-time faculty position in a March 6 social media post.

“The individual in question is no longer employed with the college or district,” the college said, adding that it “took immediate action.”

On his now-deleted Linkedin profile, Brothwell listed Huntington Beach Union High School District and Cypress College as employers. His employment status for both institutions is unclear and neither responded to questions from the Watchdog.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the school district Brothwell previously worked for.