Ex-educator jailed until trial

The former Gadsden school superintendent arrested on a child sex tour charge will remain in jail until his trial.

Albert Thomas "Tom" Rogers, 51, was ordered detained as a flight risk by U.S. District Judge Edward C. Voss until his trial, slated to begin Aug. 4, court records indicated.

Rogers was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on one count of attempting to travel to Mexico to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He was arrested June 19 after allegedly attempting to book a sex tour to Mexico that would involve "relaxation intimacy" with a 13- or 14-year-old boy.

Rogers had served as the Gadsden Elementary School District superintendent about 10 years ago. He was superintendent for six years before quitting in 1999, saying that he was planning to move to Thailand, according to a Yuma Sun article published at that time.

He also served as the San Luis Middle School principal and on both the Yuma Union High School District and Somerton school district governing boards. A 1994 Yuma Sun profile on Rogers said he had also worked at one time or other as a school custodian, school bus driver, sports coach, teacher and school cafeteria volunteer.

At the time of his arrest, Rogers was the Tanque Verde Unified School District superintendent in Tucson. He resigned from that post Tuesday after being placed on administrative leave.

Rogers was arrested June 19 at the U.S. Port of Entry in San Luis, after being driven there by an undercover officer. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), he tried to book a sex tour to Mexico for the night of June 19 to the 20, which would include sexual contact with a 13- or 14-year-old boy.

Cited in the criminal complaint, Rogers allegedly contacted the undercover officer in January, eventually booking the tour for June 19.

If convicted, Rogers could face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.

Vincent Picard, spokesman for ICE, said this is Rogers' first suspicion of involvement with child sex tourism, and that since ICE launched its Operation Predator undercover campaign in Yuma in 1997, they have arrested 43 other people on similar suspicions