An elementary teacher in Texas was arrested as police believe he continuously sexually abused a child who was a student at his school.
The Plano Police Department arrested Paul Campbell and charged him with continuous sexual abuse of a child on Wednesday, July 8, according to FOX4.
Campbell, 64, worked as a teacher at Brinker Elementary School within the Plano ISD, and he had been employed by the district for more than 25 years at the time of his arrest.
Police launched an investigation into Campbell after a student reported incidents of inappropriate physical contact that took place at Brinker Elementary School. The victim, who was an 8-year-old second grade student at the time of the alleged incident, claimed that the abuse happened multiple times on the school’s campus over the past school year.
The student’s parents contacted police regarding the allegations over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
An arrest warrant was then issued for Campbell, and he was arrested in the Plano ISD Administration Building parking lot on the morning of July 8. Plano officials said that Campbell was caught off guard by his arrest.
Police have not shared the nature of the alleged inappropriate contact or details of when the alleged abuse began and ended. Additionally, it’s not currently known if police believe that Campbell has more victims.
“We were made aware of it the morning of July 4th, after an outcry was made at home by an 8-year-old student of Mr. Campbell to the family members,” Plano Police Department Public Information Officer Jerry Minton told the outlet.
Minton added that police are currently conducting interviews to determine if Campbell has other victims.
“They are doing some more interviews, and for other people from names provided by the original accuser,” he said. “Whether there are more victims, I don’t know.”
Campbell is currently in custody at the Plano City Jail and he is set to be transferred to the Collin County Jail. It’s not currently clear if Campbell has entered a plea or retained legal counsel in light of the charges.
Following his arrest, Plano ISD issued a statement saying they are “aware of the Plano Police Department’s media advisory regarding the arrest of a Brinker Elementary teacher, Paul Campbell, on charges related to allegations of sexual abuse of a minor student.”
“The alleged conduct is reprehensible and is completely inconsistent with the values and expectations we hold for all Plano ISD employees,” the district said in the statement obtained by FOX4. “The district is fully cooperating with the Plano Police Department as they lead this criminal investigation. Additionally, Plano ISD promptly initiated action to address the individual’s employment with the district in accordance with Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code and has made the appropriate reports to the TEA/State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) in accordance with state law.”
The district added that they do “not tolerate any conduct that threatens the safety or well-being of students and maintains safeguards such as required background checks, employee training on professional conduct and mandatory reporting, along with clear procedures for responding to concerns regarding student safety.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
