LIVE OAK -- Live Oak Police believe a former Judson Independent School District teacher's aide may have "many" more victims out there.
Rogelio Ruiz, 39, is accused of repeatedly molesting two girls at Ed Franz Elementary school while they were in the third and fourth grade. He's now charged with four felonies, including two counts of indecency with a child by contact. Police say two more charges are pending, after a 19-year-old came forward and said Ruiz molested him as a child.
District officials also told us four other children have made outcries just since Monday.
"The oldest case we have, so far, appeared to have happened in 1997," said Sgt. Anita Seamans of the Live Oak Police Department. "The most recent case we have was 2007."
Live Oak Police say the first victim came forward in September, and documents News 4 WOAI obtained detail how she said Ruiz molested her in the library and inside a portable building at Franz Elementary while she was in the dyslexia program.
When questioned, police said Ruiz confessed to assaulting her and the niece of his girlfriend, who he used to baby-sit. Police had to tell that girl's mother about the alleged sexual assaults. The mother said Ruiz continued to stop by her home and bring breakfast to her children, even after Ruiz had broken off the relationship with her sister. The girl then told officers Ruiz repeatedly assaulted her while she was in third grade at Franz while she was in the cafeteria waiting for the bus.
"It's very difficult to investigate," explained Sgt. Seamans. "As the detective, you're the one who has to look into the eyes of the child and watch them re-tell something. You're the one that has to try to deal with, especially the anger of the parents. These are hard cases to work."
Ruiz worked for the district for 12 years before resigning in 2008, shortly before the district started fingerprinting employees. A district spokesperson says Ruiz passed his background check when he was hired.
Live Oak police are asking anyone who believes they were a victim to call 210-945-1711.
