Laredo UISD to terminate teacher involved in child predator operation | #childpredator | #onlinepredator | #sextrafficing | #hacking | #aihp

The UISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the proposed termination of an LBJ High School teacher/assistant band director following his arrest.

David Ortiz was arrested in a Virginia child predator operation. In mid-January, Ortiz was arrested in Fairfax County in Fairfax, Virginia. According to local police he drove 1,500 miles with the intent of having sex with a teenage girl.

He was charged on Friday, Jan. 12 with Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material, Use of Communication Device to Solicit a Minor, Attempted Indecent Liberties with a Minor. He also faces eight counts of Use of a Communication Device to Solicit a Minor (Second or Subsequent Offense).

Mike Garza, UISD Associate Superintendent for Administration Operation Services, recommended the proposed termination.

“I am recommending that you propose the termination of the classroom teacher/assistant band director David Ortiz’s term contract of employment for good cause and to authorize me to send notice to the affected employee,” he said.

All members of the Board approved the termination.

The case dates back to December when Ortiz began communicating with someone he allegedly believed was a juvenile. He was reportedly speaking with a detective in the Fairfax County Police Department’s Child Exploitation Unit posing as a 14 year old, according to the unit’s Second Lieutenant Chris Arenas. It was part of the operation ADC Express 2 to crack down on child predators.

According to Fairfax police, Ortiz said he was going to begin making the trip to Virginia on Jan. 10. He was met by detectives two days later when he arrived and was taken into custody.

“Parents are urged to closely monitor their children’s online activities and use available security settings to prevent the use of inappropriate sites or platforms,” the Fairfax County Police Department said. “Children should be encouraged to report any person engaging in inappropriate conversations or trying to coerce them into providing sexually explicit images of themselves.”

Additional internet safety information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can be found by visiting missingkids.org.