Legal Analysis By Attorneys
Breaking Legal News
A former paraprofessional and assistant wrestling coach at Ottawa Township High School has been arrested for alleged sexual contact with a female student who was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged incident.
In November, police began an investigation into “a possible relationship between a staff member and a student” between ages 13 and 18. After this investigation, detectives with the Ottawa Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for 22-year-old Alex Jacob Guadalupe-Fuentes. Guadalupe-Fuentes has been charged with one count of criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse – both felonies. The first charge is punishable by 4-15 years in prison and the second by 3-7 years.
Guadalupe-Fuentes was booked at La Salle County Jail with bond set at $100,000. He turned in a letter of resignation on December 4th and the resignation was accepted on Monday, December 10.
Attorney Commentary: Looking for more information from a school sexual abuse law firm? Continue reading for more information below.
Attorney contributor Brian Kent has experience representing the interests of sexual assault victims in both criminal and civil courts. After a successful career as a sex crimes prosecutor, he now represents victims in civil lawsuits. Here is Brian’s perspective on the legal options available to survivors of child sexual abuse by school employees:
Sexual predators are often individuals in positions of trust and authority over vulnerable victims. Tragically, these sexual predators are sometimes found in our schools, working as our community’s teachers, coaches, counselors, custodians, etc. When a school employee sexually abuses students, it’s crucial to make sure the employee is brought to justice and that the victims and their families get all of the support they need. Additionally, we must determine if the school itself was negligent in a way that enabled the abuse to occur.
For example, a school could be considered negligent for failing to report suspected abuse to law enforcement or for failing to run a background check and hiring an employee with a history of sexual misconduct. When school negligence played a role in the sexual abuse of a student, the victim and their family may have grounds for a lawsuit.
If you or your child is a survivor of sexual abuse by a school employee, you can learn more about your family’s legal options by speaking to one of our experienced sexual assault survivors attorneys.
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