Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Ocean City Police Chief Jay Prettyman on Monday announced the arrest of a former high school music teacher on sexual assault charges.
Ricardo Valle, 34, who currently lives in Seabrook, Texas, was charged with two counts of sexual assault, one count of official misconduct, one count of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of criminal sexual contact.
The charges were a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Ocean City Police Department and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, after it was reported that Valle allegedly sexually assaulted a student in 2016 while he was a teacher at the Ocean City High School.
Minutes from the June 22, 2016, meeting of the Ocean City Board of Education show that Valle resigned from his position as a high school music teacher effective July 1, 2016. No reason for his resignation was given.
Valle was arrested in Texas on Feb. 27 by members of the Seabrook Police Department and is currently being lodged at the Harris County jail pending extradition hearings.
The investigation continues. The prosecutor urges anyone with additional information to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135, or the Ocean City Police Department at 609-525-9131, or report it anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers, 609-889-3597.
