26°
Luis Morales, 56, of West Chester, abused the 3rd and 4th grade student between 2014 and 2016 while at Nottingham Elementary School in Oxford, DA Deb Ryan said.
According to the criminal complaint, Morales engaged in penetration, "however slight," of the student's genitals/anus.
The 14-year-old victim told authorities that the abuse began when Morales asked her to stay after school one day and, once the other students left, asked if he could touch her, the complaint says.
The victim said she thought Morales meant "like a pat on the back" but instead, he used his hand and fingers to touch her chest and private area, according to the complaint.
The victim said she was sexually assaulted by Morales regularly throughout her third and fourth grade years.
During these times, the victim was digitally penetrated vaginally and anally by Morales, according to the complaint.
On one occasion, the victim said Morales took her hand and placed it on the outside of his pants on top of the genital area, authorities said.
The victim said the alleged abuse stopped when she left the school at the end of her fourth grade year, in June 2016.
One witness told authorities she once saw the victim sitting on Morales’ lap in the straddle position facing Morales by his desk. The witness said that when she entered the room, the victim stood up quickly.
A second witness said Morales sometimes called the victim to his desk in the back corner of the room and saw Morales rubbing his hand over the victim’s buttocks.
A third witness said the victim sat under Morales’ desk on several occasions, and once saw the teacher touching her genitals over her clothing.
Morales taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in the school district until 2016, and was suspended in June 2021 from the Phoenixville Area School District, where he had been working for the past five years.
He was charged with multiple counts of Aggravated Indecent Assault, Institutional Sexual Assault, Corruption of Minors, and related offenses.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cherry Hill and receive free news updates.
