A now-former Central Texas charter school educator has been charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in a residential facility for troubled teens.
David Paul Jones, 58, was arrested Thursday and charged with sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Jones worked as a contract PE coach for the UT Charter School campus at Cedar Crest Hospital in Belton, according to a Friday news release from the City of Belton.
Cedar Crest is a residential treatment center for teens ages 12 through 17 who are struggling with emotional problems and substance abuse.
The city said Jones taught at the facility from November 2023 to September 2024.
Jones’ arrest followed a months-long investigation by the Belton Police Department.
According to the city, a Cedar Crest staff member reported the assault to the police in September 2024.
The victim reportedly told authorities that Jones had sexually assaulted her in a gym storage room in November 2023 and at least one other time in the gym.
Two other students told investigators that Jones had assaulted or groomed them while he worked at Cedar Crest.
State records show Jones was certified as an educational aide in April 2023. His teaching certificate, which has since expired, is under review by the Texas Education Agency.
Jones was booked into the Bell County Jail on May 22 and is being held on a $250,000 bond.
In just the past few years, hundreds of Texas school employees have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children.
Thousands of cases of educator sexual misconduct have been reported to the state since the TEA began keeping organized records in 2021.
