Middle school teacher accused of sending sexually explicit messages to 8th-grade student

WILMINGTON MANOR, Del. (WPVI) -- A middle school teacher has been arrested for allegedly sending sexually explicit texts and social media messages to an 8th-grade student.

Ricardo Vila, 39, a physical education teacher at George Read Middle School in Wilmington Manor, Delaware, was arrested Monday.

He faces 17 charges, including Sexual Solicitation of a Child and Sexual Abuse of a Child by a Person in a Position of Trust, the Delaware Attorney General's Office said.

School officials say Vila was also an assistant baseball coach at William Penn High School.

According to court documents, the school's principal contacted police on March 17, and police then interviewed the victim and their parents.

The messages between the teacher and student allegedly began on March 12 and, over the course of several days, turned sexual in nature.

Police say the conversations were over text message and Instagram. Authorities say Vila asked for sexually explicit photos of the student, which the student did not send, and sent the student obscene photos of himself.

"Parents deserve to trust that their children are safe at school, full stop," Attorney General Kathy Jennings said in a statement. "Any case with a child victim is heinous; cases where the abuser held a position of trust are beyond the pale."

The principal of George Read Middle School sent a note to families last Monday saying the Colonial School District was made aware of an incident, assuring parents that anyone directly connected to that incident had already met with school personnel and state police.

"The safety and security of all members of the George Read family is a priority, and we will continue to ensure we are comprehensively supporting our students," the statement from Principal Nick Wolfe reads.

Vila did not have an attorney listed. He is being held on $600,000 bail.

The attorney general's office said it is not aware of any additional victims.

However, given that Vila's position regularly brought him into contact with children, investigators are seeking any information the public may have about this case.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Kevin Kelleher at (302) 365-8436.