PASADENA, Texas – A Pasadena teacher went before a judge Wednesday accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student.
Reynaldo Martinez is charged with sexual assault of a child, improper relations with a student and child pornography.
Martinez was a substitute teacher at Bondy Intermediate School when the alleged assault took place.
Prosecutors told the judge it started with text messages and escalated to "sexting" before the pair had sex at the Pasadena ISD school.
Martinez, who had been subbing with the district since last August, cleared a background check, according to a district spokesperson.
According to documents, Martinez sent text messages to the girl telling her she was "hot" and saying he wanted to have sex with her.
He also asked for photographs. When she asked what kind, he replied, "the kind you don’t want nobody to look at."
Bondy parents were shocked to learn that a teacher has been accused of taking advantage of a student.
"Disgust. Just awful to think of what someone would do to a child," said Alfredo Rodriguez, whose child attends Bondy.
"If that would have been my child... it’s horrible," said Veronica Rodriguez, another Bondy parent.
The investigation began last week when another student allegedly complained to administrators about inappropriate text messages from Martinez. The 14-year-old girl then came forward and told her story.
Authorities want to hear from other students who may have had similar experiences.
Bondy parents were notified in a letter from the district. Parents at Schneider Intermediate will get the same letter since Martinez also subbed there.
"I’m disappointed with the school district. I think they should have brought this out a little sooner," said Alfredo Rodriguez.
"The safety of the students is our top priority," Pasadena ISD spokesperson Candace Ahlfinger said. "Because of that, we do criminal background checks, we watch people carefully, we take every employee through training. Unfortunately, there are times when people do something like this."
Martinez has been fired.
