SAN DIEGO -- A judge refused Thursday to dismiss child molestation charges against a former fifth-grade teacher accused of having sex with two of her former male students, including one who was 12 when the alleged sexual activity started.

Judge Frederick Maguire noted that another judge, who presided over Adrienne Feistel's preliminary hearing in June, found there was sufficient evidence to order her to stand trial on 12 felony counts of committing lewd acts on a child.

Defense attorney Charles Quirk unsuccessfully argued that one of the alleged victims was over 18 when he had sex with the defendant, who's now 36 years old.

That alleged victim testified at the preliminary hearing that he had sex with Feistel, but it didn't happen until after he was an adult.

But district attorney's Investigator Barbara Rudestill testified that a fellow teacher told her that she accompanied Feistel to see a counselor, and the defendant ended up in a ball on the floor saying, "What if I did something to a student?"

Authorities allege the sexual relations between Feistel and the older boy began in 2004, when he would have been around 15.

Another former student, now 15, testified at the preliminary hearing that the sexual activity with Feistel began two months into his seventh-grade year, in 2006.

The boy, now a sophomore in high school, testified that Feistel -- who was having marital problems -- moved in with his family and would sneak into his bed while everyone was sleeping and have sex with him.

Feistel faces more than 10 years in state prison if convicted. Her trial is scheduled for Oct. 19.