Houston, United States— A schoolteacher was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a student Wednesday after investigators said a complaint from the school district triggered a criminal probe.
City police said the arrest followed a report filed Monday by district officials. The district said a staff member was told about an alleged inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student. The district notified law enforcement within hours.
The suspect, 38, taught at a public high school in the district for seven years. Police said the alleged incident occurred off-campus earlier this month. The student, who is under 18, reported the matter to a counselor. Counselors then alerted administrators.
Detectives interviewed the student with a victim advocate present. They also collected phone records and messages. Police said evidence supported probable cause for arrest. The teacher was taken into custody at his home without incident Wednesday morning.
He faces charges of sexual assault of a child, improper relationship between educator and student, and tampering with evidence. Police said the tampering charge relates to deleted messages. The district placed him on administrative leave last week before the arrest.
Sgt. Maria Valdez said the investigation was handled by the Special Victims Division. She said the student is receiving support services. She urged anyone with additional information to contact investigators and said the case remains open.
The school district released a brief statement. It said student safety is its first priority. It said it is cooperating fully with police. It said counseling services have been made available to students and staff at the campus.
Parents gathered outside the school Wednesday afternoon. Some demanded more transparency from the board. Others said they were shocked. The school remained open. Officers were posted at entrances during dismissal.
The teacher is being held at Harris County Jail pending a bond hearing Thursday. Prosecutors said they will request no contact with minors and surrender of his teaching license as conditions if bail is granted.
Police said no other students have come forward so far. The investigation continues. The district said a full personnel review is underway.
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
