HOUSTON – former A teacher accused of sexually abusing several second graders in the classroom at Sutton Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District appeared in court this Saturday. in the morning when the judge set bail for him in the amount of $205,000.
The 45-year-old defendant remained silent and bowed his head throughout much of the hearing.
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Manuel Edgardo Ponce was arrested Friday afternoon.
Ponce was charged with indecent exposure with a minor to multiple counts of ongoing sexual abuse of a minor. Eight students made allegations.
Ponce resigned from his position at Sutton School, which is owned by the Houston Independent School District, in July last year, but an investigation didn’t begin until last fall, when several students complained of abuse.
In May 2018, Ponce was named Sutton School Teacher of the Year.
“It was very difficult because we didn’t get support from the school,” the mother of one of the affected students told ABC 13.
The students were interrogated by Houston police and FBI agents.
The mother said her daughter and other girls had been sexually abused by Ponce in the classroom for several years. Elle didn’t know about her daughter until December last year.
According to the mother, the first girl said something about the alleged abuse in October 2022, and other girls have since complained.
Harris County prosecutors say the investigation is ongoing and there may be more victims.
Source: La Opinion
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