Ex-school employee accused of impregnating 13-year-old student
HOUSTON -- A former HISD employee had sex with a 13-year-old student multiple times and got her pregnant, prosecutors allege.
Mauricio Mendoza was arrested Monday and is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child during his time working at a Hartman Middle School as an IT specialist.
According to prosecutors, the young girl's mother found evidence of communication between the victim and Mendoza on her cell phone and notified school authorities. The girl was taken to the Children's Assessment Center, where she allegedly admitted to having sexual contact with Mendoza and took a pregnancy test that came back positive.
Mendoza and the girl allegedly had sexual contact in the school's library and Mendoza's office.
As he left court on Thursday afternoon, Mendoza declined to comment on the allegations against him.
According to charging documents, the sexual contact occurred around Dec. 13. While Mendoza worked in multiple HISD schools, prosecutors said they have no reason to believe there are any other victims.
HISD said the allegations were first reported to school officials in December. The district released the following statement to ABC13:
"The Houston Independent School District takes reports of inappropriate conduct very seriously. When the district is made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct between an employee and student, immediate action is taken to protect the students we serve. Allegations are fully investigated by the Houston ISD Police Department, which works closely with the local district attorney's office for potential charges. The HISD Board of Education also has policies and procedures in place that specifically prohibit employees from engaging in inappropriate relationships with students."
