Trial delayed for former Gadsden school superintendent

The federal trial of a former Yuma County school official has been pushed back to Dec. 1 at the request of his attorney.

Albert Thomas ‘‘Tom’’ Rogers was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly attempting to travel to Mexico to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

The 51-year-old Rogers was arrested in June by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the U.S. Port of Entry at San Luis, Ariz.

Federal officials allege Rogers used an online site to reserve a tour that was to include sexual acts with a teenage boy in Mexico. The online site was part of an undercover operation.

In documents filed Sunday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Rogers’ attorney says additional time is needed to receive and review discovery and for further investigation.

Rogers remains in federal custody pending his trial in Phoenix. Prosecutors say if he’s convicted, Rogers faces up to 30 years in prison.

Rogers is a former Gadsden Elementary School District superintendent, as well as a former Tanque Verde Unified School District superintendent in Tucson.

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.

According to federal officials, Rogers allegedly began the sex tour booking process with an undercover ICE officer in January.

The complaint filed against him states, 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 20th and met with the officer after flying into the Yuma International Airport, according to the complaint. He was then arrested after the officer drove him to the U.S. Port of Entry in San Luis.

According to court records, Rogers told an undercover officer he was involved in the sex trade in Thailand as well and was a  tour operator and partner in a travel business there from 2001 to 2004.

Other court documents show that Rogers is HIV-positive.