COMPTON — A former Compton teacher from Diamond Bar accused of molesting three female students while he was assigned to Foster Elementary School in Compton pleaded not guilty Friday to three felony counts.

Ronald Sture Hoppe, 45, of Diamond Bar, appeared late this afternoon in Compton Superior Court, where he is charged with three counts of lewd act on a child under 14.

Hoppe, who was arrested Thursday, is accused of molesting one student between August 2005 and June 2006, the second between August 2007 and June 2008 and the third in November 2008.

Hoppe, who is jailed on $300,000 bail, is due back in court March 21. A date is scheduled to be set then for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.

If convicted as charged, he faces up to 10 years in prison.