SPLENDORA, Texas (KTRK) — A 70-year-old man who has worked for more than a decade as an educator is now charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to officials.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is asking for possible victims of Rene Jesus Tavera-Arango to come forward.
Tavera-Arango worked in three different school districts over his 14 years in education– including Navasota ISD, Cleveland ISD, and most recently, at Splendora ISD’s Peach Creek Elementary School.
The sheriff’s office said its investigation began two weeks ago after two girls reported allegations of sexual abuse against the elementary school teacher, which allegedly took place last school year.
Charging documents against the teacher state he taught first grade and that two 7-year-old victims from his class at Peach Creek came forward.
“We trusted this person to educate our children,” Assistant Chief Rick Bass of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department said.
“We trusted them to educate them, protect them, and I believe he violated that trust.”
Court records state that the two girls accused the teacher of rubbing and touching them inappropriately. Prosecutors allege that some of the abuse occurred while the girls were doing math or other schoolwork in the classroom.
“The information we have is that it occurred during the school day, on campus,” Sgt. Todd Hoff, of MCSO, said.
Nobody at Tavera-Arango’s home opened the door when ABC13 visited, but neighbors described the teacher as being one who kept to himself.
ABC13 requested a statement from the three districts where the teacher worked.
In letters to parents and staff, Splendora ISD said Tavera-Arango was immediately placed on administrative leave. Cleveland ISD responded with a statement, which read, in part:
“Cleveland ISD can confirm that Mr. Rene Jesus Tavera-Arango was employed with the district from August 16, 2013, to May 31, 2023. He is no longer employed with Cleveland ISD, as he resigned for other employment.
There were no allegations or disciplinary actions related to sexual misconduct during his employment with Cleveland ISD.”
Meanwhile, Navasota ISD stated, “Mr. Tavera-Arango was briefly employed in the Spring semester of 2013 before resigning from the district at the end of that semester. There are no records of any incidents.”
If you have any information or may have been a victim, you are asked to contact the MCSO’s Special Victims Unit at 1-936-760-5876.
