UPDATE

On December 12, 2022 Morales plead guilty to one count each of Indecent Assault w/ Person Less than 13 Years of Age, Intercourse/Sexual Contact with a Student, and Endangering the Welfare of Children where Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense.  Morales received an 18-36 months state prison sentence and must register as a Megan’s Law Tier 3 offender.

NOTTINGHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER CHARGED

 WITH SEXUAL ABUSE OF STUDENT

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Oxford Borough Police Department announce the arrest of Luis Morales, 56, of West Chester, for the sexual abuse of a student in 3^rd and 4^th grades between 2014 and 2016 at Nottingham Elementary School in Oxford. The defendant is charged with multiple counts of Aggravated Indecent Assault, Institutional Sexual Assault, Corruption of Minors, and related offenses. The defendant taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at the school until 2016 and was suspended in June 2021 from the Phoenixville Area School District.

DA Deb Ryan said, “Chester County is seeing an unacceptable wave of students who have been sexually abused in our elementary, middle, and high schools. It is imperative that we implement safeguards in our schools and any other place children are to protect them from predators. Adults need to engage in oversight by watching out for children. Anyone who works with children has a legal obligation as a mandated reporter, but all adults have a moral responsibility to do the right thing to protect them. We must do better.”

The allegations in the complaint are the following ^]:

In June 2021, a 14-year-old child reported that she was sexually abused was by the defendant, her ESL teacher, when she was in 3^rd and 4^th grades at Nottingham Elementary School in Oxford between 2014 and 2016.

The victim reported to Oxford Borough Police that when she was in 3^rd grade, the defendant asked her to stay after school, and then he proceeded to touch her chest and genitals. The defendant continued to sexually abuse her regularly when she was in 3^rd and 4^th grades by digitally penetrating the victim’s vagina and anus.

The abuse stopped in 2016 when the student graduated from the 4^th grade.

The defendant was released after posting $350,000 - 10% bail and is awaiting his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.

Oxford Borough Police are investigating. Assistant District Attorney Christine Abatemarco is the assigned prosecutor.

If you have any information about this case, please call Detective Christopher Coverly, Oxford Borough Police at 610-998-0032 ext. 302.

Call Childline if you suspect a child is being abused: 1-800-932-0313.

Learn to recognize, react, and respond to child sexual abuse by signing up for a free virtual Stewards of Children workshop. Contact County Coordinator Katie Walters at kwalters@chesco.org or 610-344-6115.