A 46-year-old man pleaded not guilty today to inappropriately touching young girls for nearly three years, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

Carlos Munguia (dob 11/25/71) has been charged with five misdemeanor counts of child molesting in case 8WC02322.

Deputy District Attorney Sunita Popal is assigned to the case.

Prosecutors said at the time of the alleged crimes, Munguia was a teacher at Hurley Elementary School in La Puente.

From September 2015 to February 2018, the defendant allegedly engaged in improper touching with five female students, according to prosecutors.

Munguia is scheduled to return to court on June 5 for a pretrial hearing in Department 5 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, West Covina Branch.

If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in local custody and lifetime sex offender registration.

The case is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Los Angeles District Attorney /case 8WC02322 / May 1, 2018