Affidavit: Ex-teacher fondled girl, gave her candy not to tell

A retired Killeen kindergarten teacher jailed on a warrant charging indecency with a child/sexual contact, fondled a female student daily over the course of five months from August 2016 to January 2017 and gave her candy so she wouldn’t tell, an affidavit released Friday says.

Retired Peebles Elementary School teacher Leonardo Casias was arrested Thursday in Poteet south of San Antonio on a warrant charging indecency with a child/sexual conduct stemming from an investigation of the allegations of inappropriate conduct with the student during the 2016-2017 school year.

He remains in the Atascosa County jail in Jourdanton.

The arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday after an investigation that started in November 2018 when an 8-year-old girl made an outcry to another teacher at Peebles Elementary, the affidavit says.

During a forensic interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center, the girl said “Casias touched her vagina every day inside her underwear with her hand during the timeframe of late August 2016 until mid-January 2017” and “would give her candy so she would not tell.”

The Killeen ISD issued a press release late Thursday night in which it said it was “unable to provide further information pertaining to the matter involving Leonard Casias.”

The district “strongly condemns the behavior that has been alleged in this case,” the district said.

“We are saddened and outraged by the alleged conduct by this former teacher and we remain committed to our students’ welfare,” the district said.

“We will continue to work closely with law enforcement officials in this matter, and if the allegations prove true, we will support the strongest possible legal action against this former employee.”