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.

Approved for release by Deborah Ryan, District Attorney

The Oxford Borough Police were assisted by Chester County District Attorney's Office, Chester County Detectives, Oxford Area School Police, West Goshen Township Police and Quarryville Borough Police

A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Aggravated Indecent Assault      3125 B                   F1 – 5 Counts

Aggravated Indecent Assault      3125 A1                F2 – 5 Counts

Aggravated Indecent Assault      3125 A2                F2 – 5 Counts

Aggravated Indecent Assault      3125 A7                F2 – 5 Counts

 Indecent Assault                       3126 A1                M2 – 10 Counts

Indecent Assault                        3126 A2                M1 – 10 Counts

Indecent Assault                        3126 A7                F3 – 1 Count

Institutional Sexual Assault         3124.2(a.2)          F3 – 10 Counts

Unlawful Contact with a Minor     6318(a)(1)           F1 – 5 Counts, F3 – 5 Counts

Corruption of Minors                   6301(a)(1)(ii)      F3 – 1 Count

Endangering Welfare                   4304(a)(1)           F3 – 1 Count