Mother of Alleged Victim: Police Declined to Press Charges against Teacher

By Candace Hopkins
KRQE
February 4, 2016

http://krqe.com/2016/02/03/teacher-accused-of-inappropriately-touching-students-arrested-again/

A Catholic school teacher accused of fondling young students is in even deeper trouble.

He’s been hit with another round of charges, accused of molesting four more students.

KRQE News 13 first told you about 47-year-old Aaron Chavez two weeks ago. He was arrested after a 6-year-old at Santo Nino Catholic School said he had touched her inappropriately. That student told her mom her art teacher was making her uncomfortable. She later claimed Chavez touched her genitals and buttocks while tucking in her shirt during an art class. News of his arrest led to a bigger case.

“Other individuals have come forward to the detectives to report inappropriate contact with children at the Santo Nino elementary school,” said Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Juan Rios.

Investigators say there are now five victims, all telling similar stories.

Rios said, “The reports that are coming forward from other victims are similar in nature, it’s inappropriate contact.”

According to a criminal complaint, how the touching happened varies. One alleged victim said Chavez ran his fingers down her back and between her thighs. She also said that he made her go into his pocket to get erasers. Another child said it was another class at Santo Nino that led her to come forward about Chavez.

“They reported it in 2012 after being in a class, which is called Good Touch, Bad Touch and it was at that point that the child realized that the touching that was going on in 2007 was in fact not good,” said Rios.

Another child in the complaint claims she had numerous encounters of a sexual nature with Chavez in 2007. She and her mother say they reported those allegations to the school, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the State Police. That alleged victim says the State Police declined to press charges against Chavez and that the Archdiocese told her they investigated her claim but that they were unable to substantiate it.

According to the complaint, these incidents escalated, with the earlier incidents involving touching over the clothing and the latest incidents involving under the clothing touching.

The Sheriff’s Office says these allegations go back to 2007 and it appears they all happened at the school.

The school suspended Chavez after his first arrest two weeks ago. In court Wednesday afternoon his $50,000 cash only bail, was reduced to $50,000 cash or surety, meaning he can post five thousand dollars and be let out. The judge ruled if he does get out, he must be electronically monitored and on house arrest. Chavez’s defense attorney had argued for a reduced bond, saying his client has ties to the Santa Fe community. That attorney also says the state has not released any evidence linking Chavez to this crime.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe released this statement on Wednesday: