North Texas teacher caught on video spending night at school with student, police say
A former North Texas middle school teacher has been arrested on a felony charge of child grooming after police found video evidence that he spent the night at the school with a 14-year-old girl over summer break, officials said.
Sergio Gonzalez was arrested at his house, the Balch Springs Police Department said in a news release on social media Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The department began investigating Gonzalez after the Mesquite Independent School District notified police of “a potential inappropriate relationship between educator and a student,” the release states.
The 54-year-old was a teacher and coach at A.C. New Middle School, which is located in Balch Springs but part of Mesquite ISD.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by KDFW-TV, three school employees notified the district in August of their concerns about a relationship between Gonzalez and a 14-year-old student.
The district began investigating the claims and placed Gonzalez on administrative leave Aug. 20. He resigned a short time later, according to the affidavit.
Surveillance video from July shows “the suspect grabbing the victim’s buttocks and then walking down the hallway while holding hands,” the affidavit states. A Balch Springs police spokesperson told KDFW that there is also video footage of the victim and suspect spending the night at the school.
Gonzalez communicated with the teen over social media, according to the affidavit. He would sometimes use words like “love,” “baby” and “miss you,” and told her to delete some of the messages and not tell her parents they were communicating.
Police told KDFW that the girl’s parents knew they spent time together, but didn’t know their relationship crossed the line. Investigators believe the parents trusted Gonzalez.
Friends of the 14-year-old told detectives that Gonzalez gave the victim rides in his personal vehicle and touched her inappropriately, KDFW reported. He also allegedly bought her gifts and spent time with her outside of school.
The 14-year-old has downplayed the relationship during interviews with investigators and expressed concern for what will happen to Gonzalez, the affidavit states. According to police, the victim’s reaction is common in child-grooming cases.
Texas child grooming law
The Texas legislature passed a child grooming law in September 2023 to prevent adults from developing a connection with a minor with the motive of earning their trust to later sexually abuse or traffic them.
Police said Gonzalez was arrested “following a thorough investigation.” He was taken to the Balch Springs City Jail to await transfer to the Dallas County Jail, according to the release.
Gonzalez refused to talk to detectives, and upgraded charges against him are possible, KDFW reported. He was hired by Mesquite ISD in 2004.
This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 1:38 PM.
