ENCINITAS — A technology support specialist at Cardiff School District in Encinitas has been arrested on suspicion of possessing explicit images of children, the district said in a message to families on Monday.
The school district stated that Jesus “Jesse” Sotelo, 41, was placed on immediate administrative leave following his arrest. The district said he did not work as a classroom teacher or aide, and they do not believe his alleged activities were connected to district students or schools in any way.
“The district conducted a thorough review of the technology associated with the employee and found no evidence on district computers to suggest that such material was present on campus,” Superintendent Jill Venson said in an email to district families.
The small school district has just two schools — Cardiff Elementary and Ada Harris Elementary.
CSD also emphasized that all employees undergo a background check and fingerprint clearance before being hired in the district.
“We understand that news like this is unsettling. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement, and we will continue to provide updates as appropriate, given the ongoing investigation, the legal process, and the confidentiality of personnel matters,” Venson said.
The Coast News has reached out to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for more information. This story will be updated.
