South county teacher charged in sex case

A Cesar Chavez Elementary School teacher accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with several students was charged with seven felonies on Tuesday.
 
Miguel Angel Chavez was charged with five counts of aggravated assault and two counts of sexual abuse following an investigation of allegations made against him by eight students.
 
Chavez, who was arrested Friday afternoon on school grounds, was arraigned in Somerton Justice Court before Justice of the Peace pro tem Manny Figueroa, who lowered his bond to $153,000.
 
Figueroa also scheduled Chavez's next court date, a preliminary hearing, for April 7 at 2 p.m. Chavez has hired Maricopa attorney Jose Saldivar to represent him.
 
According to court records, eight students gave written complaints to the school principal on Friday alleging Chavez had sexually abused them.
 
The principal then contacted the San Luis police who responded to the school. Upon the officer's arrival, the principal gave him the statements.
 
The mother of one of the victims said in a telephone interview, "It is very disturbing. We put all our confidence in the schools, we send our children, but we never know what can happen to them there."
 
She said that she did not really believe that the man would be penalized and there was little one person could do. At this point, she gave the telephone to her older daughter to give more details about the incident, since she was the one that picked her sister up on Friday at the school. The girl is a 10-year-old fifth grader at the school.
 
"According to the details my sister gave to me, the teacher put his hand on her leg and tried to lift her skirt," the sister said. "She pinched his hand and he immediately pulled his hand away from her.
 
"Then she said that she told her classmates and together they went to the principal's office, who immediately called the police. Officer Alfredo Campa is the officer who took the report against the teacher," she said.
 
"That same day my mother and me took my little sister to Amberly's (Place), where they helped us with the paperwork. They interviewed my little sister and they told us about our rights as victims.
  
"I know there are more girls that were molested by this teacher and I told them they have nothing to be ashamed about, that they did nothing wrong (and) that they should not be scared to tell," she said.
 
At this point the family is unsure if they will send the girl back to school. They will wait to see what happens.
 
On Friday, Chavez was detained and taken to the San Luis Police Department for further questioning. During his questioning Chavez denied the allegations saying the only thing he was guilty of was "being too friendly with his students."
 
Chavez also stated during his questioning that he had been previously warned by school administration about his actions.
 
According to court records, six of the eight victims were interviewed at Amberly's Place, where four claimed Chavez touched them on the legs and breasts and two others said he physically abused them.
 
Two of the victims were not available for the interviews, according to court records.
 
Chavez was booked into the Yuma County jail early Saturday morning. He appeared in the Somerton court via a video link from the Yuma County jail.
 
It is not known what classes Chavez taught at the school. No further information about his employment at the school was immediately available.