A 39-year-old physical education teacher at George Read Middle School in the Colonial School District was arrested Monday morning following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate communications with an eighth-grade student police said Monday.
Officials said Ricardo Vila was taken into custody after an investigation conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a coalition led by the Delaware Department of Justice and the Delaware State Police. Authorities allege Vila engaged in inappropriate and explicit exchanges through text messages and social media with a student under his instruction according to prosecutors.
Vila is reportedly facing a total of 17 felony charges, including six counts of Sexual Solicitation of a Child, six counts of Promoting Sexual Solicitation of a Child, two counts of Obscenity, one count of Enticement for Purposes of Sexual Contact, one count of Sexual Abuse of a Child by a Person in a Position of Trust in the Second Degree, and one count of Dangerous Crime Against a Child.
At this time, no additional victims have been identified. Investigators are asking anyone with information related to the case or Vila’s conduct to contact Detective Kevin Kelleher at (302) 365-8436.
In a statement issued to families, the Colonial School District confirmed its cooperation with law enforcement and reassured the public that Vila has not had contact with students since the initial report was made. The district stated, “The Colonial District is aware that a staff member at George Read Middle School has been charged with multiple criminal offenses. The building and district administration have been cooperating fully with the authorities. The staff member has not been in the presence of students since the incident was reported. As this is a legal matter, we are unable to comment further at this time.”