Educator arrested on sex charge is former Gadsden superintendent

When a former Gadsden Elementary School District superintendent was arrested on suspicion of being a child predator, Betty Oppenheimer was "shocked" to hear that it was a man who had served with her as a Yuma Union High School District board member.

Albert Thomas Rogers, also known as Tom Rogers, is a former Gadsden Elementary School District superintendent and former school board member who was arrested last week for allegedly booking a sex tour to Mexico that would involve sexual contact with a young boy. Rogers was being held in Phoenix Tuesday awaiting a federal detention hearing Thursday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Tuesday that the former Tucson superintendent was also a superintendant of the Gadsden Elementary School District 10 years ago. The Tanque Verde Unified School District governing board president informed the Yuma Sun that they had accepted Rogers' letter of resignation delivered Tuesday after previously placing him on administrative leave.

Rogers was superintendent of the Gadsden Elementary School District for six years. In 1999 he quit his job and moved to Thailand, where he apparently bought a maintenance and cleaning franchise, according to a Sun article published at that time.

He had 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 Sun profile on Rogers from 1994 said he had also worked at one time or other as a school custodian, school bus driver, sports coach, teacher and school cafeteria volunteer.

"I couldn't say anything wrong about him, he was extremely qualified (and) he seemed to do his job alright," Oppenheimer said. Oppenheimer and Rogers served at least two years together in the early 90s on the Yuma Union High School District School Board, when he was also principal of Somerton Middle School.

Rogers, 51, was arrested in San Luis Friday after ICE said he attempted to book a sex tour in Mexico where he would be engaging in sexual activity with a young boy.

"I hate to see anybody get on that kind of a charge," Oppenheimer said, "he seemed to be a good man."The Sun could not reach other Yuma-area educators or board members who worked with him for comment.

Stezen Auslander, president of Tanque Verde Unified School District governing board, said that it was "shocking and disappointing" when the board first heard the news  yesterday afternoon. He said the board held a meeting last night where they voted to put Rogers on administrative leave, and they received his letter of resignation Tuesday afternoon.

Auslander said that the board's reaction was "absolute shock" when the announcement was made.

"He was exemplary, he was a great agent for positive change," he said.

Auslander said that Rogers had been with the school district for the past two years. He also said that "there is no evidence or any glimmer of any impropriety here in our community, absolutely none. It's as if the man led two different lives."

Rogers allegedly began the sex tour booking process with an undercover ICE officer in January. According to the filed complaint, Rogers sent the officer an application form in February saying he was looking for "relaxation intimacy," including sex, with a 13- or 14-year-old boy in Mexico.

Rogers booked the tour for the night of June 19 to the 20, and met with the officer after flying into the Yuma airport, according to the complaint. He was then arrested after the officer drove him to the U.S. Port of Entry in San Luis.

Vincent Picard, spokesman for ICE, said that they are seeking a grand jury indictment on Rogers. Rogers appeared before U.S. Magistrate Jay Irwin in Yuma on Monday, and he is currently charged with one count of travel and attempt to travel with intent to engage in sex with a juvenile.  

Picard said he will be transferred to Phoenix for a detention hearing Thursday in federal court to determine whether he would be released on bail or remain in custody.

Wyn Hornbuckle, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona, said that if convicted Rogers could face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.

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