BALCH SPRINGS, Texas (TMX) – A Texas teacher is facing charges after school officials allegedly found surveillance video that showed him spending the night inside a school with a 14-year-old student over the summer.
Sergio Gonzalez, a 54-year-old teacher and coach at A.C. New Middle School in Balch Springs, was arrested for child grooming, a third-degree felony, police announced Wednesday.
Mesquite Independent School District began looking into allegations of an improper relationship between Sergio Gonzalez and a 14-year-old girl after three employees reported their concerns in August. They placed him on administrative leave on Aug. 20, notified police and he later resigned.
The allegations initially involved “text messages between the student and the teacher making inappropriate comments,” Balch Springs Police Officer Pedro Gonzalez told KDFW-TV.
A district employee then discovered surveillance video from summer break that allegedly showed Sergio Gonzalez and the girl spending the night together at the school.
“There was video footage of the individuals walking down the hallways, carrying pillows and blankets, spending the night at the school,” Officer Gonzalez said.
According to the arrest affidavit, the video also showed “the suspect grabbing the victim’s buttocks and then walking down the hallway while holding hands before entering the classroom.”
When interviewed by authorities, the girl was “downplaying the situation while demonstrating her deep concern for [Gonzalez] and what happens to him,” according to the affidavit.
“And that’s why this has been such a lengthy investigation,” Officer Gonzalez said. “Building this case where the victim is not cooperating 100%.”
Other children told investigators that Sergio Gonzalez gave the girl gifts, touched her inappropriately and gave her rides.
Balch Springs police say additional charges could still be filed.
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