REDWOOD CITY -- A San Mateo County Superior Court judge Thursday reduced bail to $100,000 for a former San Bruno high school music teacher charged with having a sexual relationship with one of his 17-year-old female students.

Adam Albrecht, 28, who has resigned from his position as Capuchino High School band teacher, was arrested last week at his Broadmoor home after the girl's mother reported their relationship to police.

Albrecht has pleaded not guilty to 16 felony counts of oral copulation with a minor and 16 felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, as well as additional charges of witness dissuasion, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. Albrecht is believed to have given the girl alcohol and marijuana, according to prosecutors.

Defense attorney Steven Clark argued that the relationship was consensual, and that Albrecht has no prior criminal history, is not a flight risk, and suffers from serious medical conditions that threaten his health while in jail.

Judge Carl Holm Thursday afternoon agreed to reduce Albrecht's bail from $500,000 down to $100,000, after Albrecht's father told the court his son would be under his supervision in San Mateo County and would not attempt to flee back to the family's home in Florida.

Holm told Albrecht that though the relationship may have been consensual, his main concern was the violation of trust between teacher and student.

According to Deputy District Attorney Melissa McKowan, though the relationship began last year, the alleged crimes between Albrecht and the student took place between February and May, primarily at Albrecht's home. The girl's mother confronted her after finding many text messages between the two on her daughter's cell phone, after which the girl admitted the affair, McKowan said.

"Love is blind. Love is stupid sometimes," Holm mused.

The safety of students in the San Mateo Union High School District "is more important than anything else," Interim Superintendent David Miller said Thursday.

"Our policy concerning relationships (between teachers and students) is very clear in the district," Miller added. "What this young man is facing is a legal issue of the gravest nature," he said.

Though Albrecht could face maximum penalty of 38 years in jail if convicted of all the charges against him, the normal sentencing range for this type of case is from probation up to six years, according to McKowan.

Albrecht's next court date is scheduled for July 12 at 1:30 p.m. in South San Francisco.