SAN ANTONIO – A coach and teacher at a San Antonio-area charter school is charged with sexual assault after allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student, according to San Antonio police.
Keith Aron Cottrell Jr., 28, was taken into custody Friday and is charged with sexual assault of a child under 17, a second-degree felony.
ARRESTED: Keith Aron Cottrell, Jr., 28, was arrested today for Sexual Assault of a Child. SAPD’s Special Victims Unit received a tip of alleged abuse between Cottrell and an underaged female victim. Cottrell is a coach and teacher at a local charter school. pic.twitter.com/Lz4VppcDR1
— San Antonio PD (@SATXPolice) September 25, 2021
SAPD’s Special Victims Unit received a credible tip alleging Cottrell Jr.’s inappropriate relationship with the minor, who was a student at a school that he worked at.
The alleged abuse happened between June and September of this year, authorities said.
Police said the investigation revealed, “enough probable cause” to charge Cottrell Jr., and he could still be facing additional charges.
Compass Rose Legacy School officials confirmed to KSAT that Cottrell Jr. is a staff member, but the alleged victim is not a current or former student. The school’s statement can be read below:
“On Friday, September 24th, school leadership at Compass Rose Legacy Secondary school was alerted of a staff member who was accused of sexual assault. The San Antonio Police Department has confirmed that the alleged victim in this case is neither a current nor a former student of Compass Rose. When alerted to the allegations by police, we immediately began working closely with law enforcement. The staff member in question was taken into custody off-campus and was also terminated immediately. We take matters such as this very seriously and are committed to ensuring the safety of all students. We have no further details but are fully cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues.”
IDEA Public Schools also confirmed to KSAT that Cottrell Jr. is a former IDEA Mays employee, but said he hasn’t been employed since Aug. 10, 2020. Below is the district’s full statement on his arrest:
“IDEA Public Schools is committed to ensuring the safety of our students on the road to and through college. Today, we were informed of an arrest of a former IDEA Mays employee. This former employee, Keith Aron Cottrell Jr, has not been employed by IDEA since August 10, 2020. We are cooperating fully with the investigation, and have taken all appropriate actions in accordance with the law and IDEA Public Schools policy. As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further. All questions should be directed to the San Antonio Police Department.”
SAPD said there is a high possibility that there are other victims and anyone with more information is urged to call 210-207-2313.
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