A local elementary school teacher has been arrested for allegedly soliciting children online.
According to the Corpus Christi Police Department, 26-year-old Lazaro Rocha is facing a second-degree felony charge for Online Solicitation of a Minor, and a misdemeanor charge of Distribution or Display of Harmful Material to a Minor.
Rocha was a part time elementary music teacher at Incarnate Word Academy in Corpus Christi.
IWA says it has yet to receive any reports of allegations made by IWA students against Rocha, and that his employment status at the school is no longer active.
In a statement sent by IWA today, the school says:
“The Administration of IWA was notified that Mr. Lazaro Rocha, a part time elementary level music teacher was arrested for inappropriate online activity with a minor. We have not received any information pertaining to any allegations concerning any of our students within the IWA system. We can provide at this time that Mr. Rocha met all safe environment requirements such as training, drug testing and a criminal history review. Mr. Rocha is no longer active at IWA and will not be returning. The safety of our children remains at the forefront of the work that we do and will continue to support the efforts of local law enforcement in this matter.”
Rocha was arrestedfollowinga recent sting operation conducted by CCPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with Homeland Security and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The 5–day, online operation, targeted people suspected of soliciting inappropriate pictures of children or attempting to meet with children for the purpose of sexual activity, CCPD said.
