Teacher Faces Three Times The Number Of Charges Originally Thought
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A middle school teacher accused of sexually assaulting children is facing three times the number of charges initially thought.
Formal charges were filed against Brian Vasquez in court on Monday. He now faces 31 different charges, including multiple counts of sexual assault on a child, sexual exploitation, sexual contact and internet luring of children.
The 34 year old taught social studies for seven years at Prairie Middle School and was in charge of a school club. Five children are believed to be victims at this point.
Parents waited for their loved ones outside school, some not wanting to pass judgement so soon.
Cathy Sayre is the grandmother of a Prairie Middle School student.
"I wanted to hear the whole story to know the whole situation whether it was the teacher at fault, the student at fault or quite what happened," she said.
The arrest came last week and was announced by Aurora police and Cherry Creek Schools.
Gary Bull, the Superintendent of the Cherry Creek School District said at a news conference then: "I am as shocked as all of you are. None of us had any inklings of anything."
The arrest took place at the school in Aurora. The allegations include not only illicit contact, but text messages containing sexual content.
Douglas Leclair has a child at the school and says he was shocked when he heard of the arrest.
"Sometimes you hear about you hear about a teacher with a senior girl in high school but a student in middle school? That's pretty bad," he said.
Vasquez is presumed innocent and being held on a $200,000 bond. He previously taught in the Widefield and Harrison school districts in El Paso county. Officials had no record of any similar problems there.
