Teacher sexually assaults 5-year-old girl at his wife’s day care, Texas officials say
A teacher at a Christian school in Texas is accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl at his wife’s day care, officials told news outlets.
According to the Baytown Police Department, accusations surfaced after a day care worker witnessed “precarious situations” between a child and the day care owner’s husband, KPRC reported. The worker told the child’s mom, who then turned to police.
Now, 56-year-old Hespero Jingco is accused of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 6 years old, Harris County court records filed Sept. 19 show. Jingco’s attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.
Jingco was, until recently, a teacher at Baytown Christian Academy, where he taught math at the middle and high school levels, KRIV reported. He’s also a pastor, investigators said.
Jingco’s wife operated an unlicensed day care at their home on the city’s north side, the outlet reported.
During the investigation, the worker told police that after being hired at the day care, she saw multiple interactions over the course of weeks between Jingco and the child “that made her uncomfortable,” KTRK reported.
In one instance, Jingco was seen touching the 5-year-old inappropriately in his office, police told the station.
He’s also accused of kissing the girl on the lips, according to KPRC. And while talking with investigators, the girl said Jingco touched her “on her private part,” police said.
Police arrested Jingco at Baytown Christian Academy, KTRK reported.
“What he did is just pure evil. We can’t tolerate that as a community or as families,” Jingco’s next-door neighbor, Sreerag Sudheeran, told the station. “We got kids here, running around playing around. We can’t let this happen.”
Jingco’s bond has been set at $150,000, records show.
Investigators said they don’t know if there may be more victims, KPRC reported, though Baytown Christian Academy said in a statement that none of its students were assaulted.
“We at Baytown Christian Academy were devastated to learn of these allegations shortly before the arrest. Mr. Jingco passed a criminal background check, which is standard for a BCA employee,” Baytown Christian Academy said in a statement to KPRC. “The allegations did not involve any BCA students and did not occur at BCA or during the school year. The safety and well-being of our students is a top priority for us. Mr. Jingco is no longer an employee of our school. We pray for justice and healing for all involved.”
Baytown is a roughly 25-mile drive east from Houston.
This story was originally published September 24, 2024 at 8:22 AM with the headline "Teacher sexually assaults 5-year-old girl at his wife’s day care, Texas officials say."