A former Ocean City High School teacher was sentenced to five years in prison for having sex with a student, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland announced in a news release Thursday.
On July 25, Ricardo Valle, 35, of Seabrook, Texas, was sentenced in Cape May County Superior Court on one count of endangering the welfare of a child following a plea deal.
Valle admitted during the court hearing that he engaged in sexual conduct with a student while he was a teacher at the Ocean City High School prior to leaving the school in June 2016.
As part of his plea agreement, Valle forfeited his teaching certificate along with any future public service. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to registration under Megan’s Law for sex offenders. Valle was also ordered to have no contact with the victim, according to the release.
At the time of his arrest on Feb. 27, 2021, Valle was residing in Texas and was a teacher at the Clear Creek Independent School District in Houston.
This sentence was a result of an investigation conducted by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and detectives from the Ocean City Police Department.
Sutherland thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the case and Assistant Prosecutor Kristine Kodytek for bringing the investigation to a successful closure.
