Morris Catholic Teacher Met in Hotel, Bought Sex Toy for Student, Police Say

By Nicholas Katzban
NorthJersey.com
March 9, 2020

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/morris/denville/2020/03/09/morris-catholic-nj-teacher-met-with-bought-sex-toy-student/5002439002/

A former Morris Catholic High School teacher arrested on sexual assault charges allegedly engaged in years-long relationships with two female students that included sending nude pictures and a sexually explicit gift to at least one victim.

In an affidavit filed in Denville municipal court on Sunday, local police said Carlos Franco-Leon, 42, of Rockaway Township, also arranged a rendezvous at a nearby hotel with one girl and engaged in sexual activity with another in the classroom. The girls' names and ages were not released by police.

On Sunday, Morris County Prosecutors announced the charges against Franco-Leon, who had also been volleyball coach at the school. He left Morris Catholic in 2018 and later became the varsity girls volleyball coach at Roselle Catholic High School in Union County, but has been suspended from that job as well, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Newark said over the weekend.

According to the affidavit, one relationship lasted from about March 2015 through about May 2019, and the other from September 2015 until January 2017.

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Franco-Leon sent a nude picture to one student via Snapchat as well as "sexually explicit" texts, a sex toy and a note that stated "I love you, baby," according to police. The two allegedly held a clandestine meet-up at a nearby Ramada in Rockaway Township.

The former teacher also performed sexual acts that stopped short of intercourse with the other victim in the classroom, police said.

After the two students filed their complaints, police visited Franco-Leon, who waived his Miranda rights and admitted to at least one relationship but countered that it occurred after he had resigned from Morris Catholic, according to the affidavit. He said he resigned from the school because of the "emotional connection" he felt toward one of the victims, authorities said.

Franco-Leon faces six first-degree counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.

Nicholas Katzban is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: katzban@northjersey.com Twitter: @nicholaskatzban