CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Former Agua Dulce High School science teacher Jaden Charles told Agua Dulce City Marshal Joe Martinez on Tuesday that she is pregnant.
Charles currently has four children.
She was arrested Tuesday on grooming and aggravated sexual assault of a child charges after investigations conducted by both the Agua Dulce City Marshal's office and the Alice Police Department reportedly turned up evidence of those crimes. Authorities expect to file more charges Wednesday.
Agua Dulce City Marshal Joe Martinez was unavailable to speak on-camera with 3NEWS on Wednesday.
The Agua Dulce charges were the result of an investigation led by the city marshal's office into vaping on school grounds, in which Martinez said Charles reportedly bought boys vaping accessories, got them intoxicated and then had sex with them.
Those alleged crimes go back two years, Martinez tells 3NEWS, from before the 25-year-old began teaching. It is believed there could be up to 12 victims, all male.
An Alice parent's complaint to police about their son leaving campus with a teacher without authorization resulted in the Alice PD's charges.
"We do have parents that were concerned and made some calls about their children being with a teacher," said Alice Police Department Chief Eden Garcia. "We do have video of the teacher with a student at one of the hotels."
She remains in the Jim Wells County jail on $100,000 bonds for each charge.
"At this point in time in our investigation we have four students that have come forward and we have obtained the warrants," Martinez said. "We still have probably seven more to interview."
Aggravated sexual assault of a child is a first-degree felony which carries a sentence of 5-99 years in prison, or a life sentence, while grooming is a third-degree felony which carries a sentence of 2-10 years in prison.
Martinez said Charles' mother turned her in to his office Tuesday morning. He said she did not speak while in custody, but he told 3NEWS he felt his case is "airtight."
Charles is a 2021 graduate of Texas A&M University-Kingsville and served as the high school's sophomore class sponsor and the UIL competition coordinator for the middle and high schools. She has since resigned from the school.
This is a developing story. 3NEWS will provide updates as they become available.
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