MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Manatee County School District employee was arrested after a seven-year-old child came forward and accused him of molesting them, the sheriff's office said.
Angel Rodriguez Mercado, 67, a paraprofessional at Abel Elementary School, was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation. Paraprofessionals typically work alongside licensed teachers in the classroom.
The sheriff's office said their investigation into the allegations began on Nov. 7 after a 3rd-grade student told a relative about the alleged crime.
Mark Morie, a lieutenant with the MCSO Crimes Against Children Division, said at a press conference that Mercado taught English to Spanish-speaking students and that his classes typically contained only five to six students at a time. He said that when investigators interviewed the child, they found that Mercado had molested the child on at least two occasions while other students were present in the room, though the other students did not see it happen either time.
Detectives said a "safety plan" was enacted at the school and Mercado was kept from having contact with children as the investigation was conducted.
The sheriff's office said Mercado confessed on Nov. 15 that he molested the child at the school. He was booked on the above charges in the Manatee County Jail and remains in custody without bond. According to the judge overseeing his case, the maximum possible sentence he could be facing is life in prison.
"We commend the bravery of the victim in disclosing this information which led to Mercado’s arrest," the sheriff's office said in its release.
The sheriff's office is encouraging parents to speak to their kids about molestation and how they can report the crime.
Detectives are also asking anyone with information about this case or who knows someone who may have been victimized by Mercado to contact the Manatee County Sheriff's Office at 941-747-3011.
10 Tampa Bay has reached out to Manatee County Schools about Mercado's employment status. During a news conference, the sheriff's office said Mercado is not teaching anymore.
Manatee County School Superintendent Dr. Jason Wysong called Mercado's arrest and charge "gut wrenching" in a written statement.
"My heart goes out to the victim, the victim’s family and the entire Abel Elementary School community during this painful and agonizing time. Our school support team of psychologists, social workers and safety and security have been on site at Abel Elementary and will stand ready to serve whatever needs may come," Wysong said.