A complaint filed by a parent from Alice Independent School District has led to further charges against Agua Dulce high school teacher Jaden Charles, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, the Alice Police Department reported that Charles, a first-year teacher, is facing two counts of grooming in addition to the initial two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child filed by the Agua Dulce City Marshal’s Office earlier that day.
Chief Eden Garcia of the Alice Police Department revealed that the grooming charges stemmed from an investigation into allegations that Charles engaged in inappropriate behavior with students, specifically purchasing boys’ vaping accessories, intoxicating them, and then engaging in sexual activity.
According to City Marshal Joe Martinez revealed that the alleged instances occurred two years before Charles’ stint as a teacher. Authorities believe there could be up to 12 victims, all of whom are male.
Aggravated sexual assault of a minor, a first-degree crime, provides a potential punishment of 5 to 99 years in prison or life, whereas grooming, a third-degree felony, gets a sentence ranging from 2 to 10 years in jail.
Martinez added that Charles’ mother reported her son’s alleged wrongdoing to his office on Tuesday morning. Despite being in detention, Charles has been quiet. Martinez expressed confidence in the evidence gathered, calling the case “airtight.” Following her arrest, Charles was brought to the Alice Police Department to face charges.
Charles, who graduated from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 2021, had leadership responsibilities at the institution, including sophomore class sponsor and UIL competition coordinator for both middle and high schools. She has since resigned from her position, citing the pending investigation.
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