NORTH MIAMI, Fla. — A 61-year-old maintenance/security manager at a charter school in Miami-Dade County was arrested Wednesday following disturbing allegations made against him by a 15-year-old girl, authorities confirmed.
Adolfo Eusebio Cotarelo, of Hialeah, works at Mater Academy, located at 1701 NE 127th St. in North Miami.
According to an arrest report from the North Miami Police Department, on Oct. 10, Cotarelo approached the victim inside the school’s cafeteria and told her she could go to the third floor of the school if she wanted “to do anything” with a boy she had a crush on because there were no security cameras there.
Police said Cotarelo then asked the girl how she would “please herself” while thinking about her crush, and then showed her a photo of himself shirtless in bed with a woman who was wearing only a bra.
According to the report, Cotarelo told the student he “can imagine her in the shower washing her hair while bathing.”
The victim would continuously try to change the subject while speaking with Cotarelo, but he would change the subject back to an inappropriate topic, police said.
According to police, Cotarelo was arrested Wednesday at the school and was transported to the police station for questioning.
The arrest report states that Cotarelo confirmed several details provided by the victim, but denied showing her a photo of him and a woman in bed and claimed that he never mentioned any kind of sexual activities to her.
Police said Cotarelo’s statements would “change constantly throughout the interview.”
According to the report, surveillance video from the school confirms that Cotarelo approached the victim on the date in question and appeared to be showing her something on his cellphone.
Police said the incident with Cotarelo has caused the victim to become physically ill and she has struggled with being able to return to school because she is in fear of any further incidents occurring with Cotarelo.
The report states that his alleged actions have also caused her to “not be able to mentally perform within the same normal range of behavior as she was prior to this incident.”
Cotarelo was arrested on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm.
As of Thursday afternoon, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond.
According to an email sent to parents whose children attend the school, Cotarelo has since been fired.
The full email can be read below. Local 10 News has also reached out to Mater Academy for further comment.
“Dear Families,
“We want to make you aware that, upon learning of inappropriate comments made by a staff member to a student, we immediately conducted an investigation in collaboration with law enforcement. As a result of that investigation, the individual has been removed from their position at our school and will not return.
“We are grateful to our student for their trust in coming forward. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority, and we will always take any concerns brought to our attention seriously.
“We would also like to thank the North Miami Police Department for their quick response and support throughout this process.
“Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership in keeping our school community safe.”
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