Irving Police are seeking possible victims of a North Texas school district teacher accused of sexually abusing a student.
Former Irving ISD second-grade teacher Victor Hugo Moreno, 28, posted bond before being released by a judge on Sunday. He had been arrested by Irving police on July 21, charged with assaulting a young female student.
Dallas County Criminal District Court magistrate, Jonathan Vickery, gave the accused a $10,000 bond for the continuous sex abuse charge and an additional $5,000 for allegedly having an improper relationship with a student.
Irving Police spokesman Robert Reeves expressed frustration with this decision. He believes the bond was set too low.
Reeves said he was disappointed at the fact that Moreno was able to bond out of jail “so easily,” adding “someone who is committing crimes against children is someone who should have a higher bond.”
After his release from custody, the Irving Police Department released a statement informing the community of the allegations against him.
“Moreno assaulted his 7-year-old female victim during the school year of 2020-2021 while she was a 2nd grader at Townsell Elementary, Irving ISD, where Moreno was her teacher,” it read.
“We believe there are additional victims. IPD is encouraging anyone whose child could have interacted with Moreno at Irving ISD and Plano ISD to have those discussions with their children, family members, and friends to make them aware of Moreno.”
Reeves said Moreno did some student teaching and tutoring before being hired by Irving ISD, where he taught during the 2020-2021 school year before quitting, having failed to meet certification requirements.
Following his departure, an adult overheard a student talking about Moreno, claiming the teacher had been fired from the district because he did something to an individual. The student was unaware that Moreno had not been fired but resigned because he did not get his certification.
The adult then contacted Irving police, who immediately began investigating the case.
Plano ISD hired Moreno for the 2021-2022 school year, but he was fired for a code of conduct violation. Principal Tricia Lancaster said Moreno had taught at Barron Elementary School but noted that his firing was unrelated to his arrest.
Following the investigation by Irving police, Moreno was booked into the Dallas County Jail on July 21. He faces charges of improper relationship between student and educator, a second-degree felony, and continuous sex abuse of a young child. It was not clear whether an attorney represented him.
Irving ISD revealed that it was aware of Moreno’s arrest and was cooperating with the investigation, according to The Dallas Morning News.
“We are committed to the safety of our students, and we expect all staff to adhere to the highest ethical practices and conduct,” the district said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. “Moreno has not been an employee of the district for more than a year and has not had access to any district campus.”
Authorities believe there could be other students who fell prey to Moreno’s alleged sexual abuse. “There is nothing leading us to believe this is an isolated incident,” Reeves said.
Police urge anyone whose child may have interacted with Moreno at Irving ISD or Plano ISD to speak to their children and report any potential case of sexual abuse to the Irving PD at 972-273-1010 or call 911.
