Colonial teacher arrested, charged with sexually soliciting student

A 39-year-old physical education teacher at Colonial School District‘s George Read Middle School, Ricardo Vila, was arrested Monday morning on multiple charges after allegedly engaging in sexually explicit communications with an eighth-grade student at the school.

The arrest follows a thorough investigation led by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a law enforcement group spearheaded by the Delaware Department of Justice and Delaware State Police.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings condemned the actions, stating, “Parents deserve to trust that their children are safe at school, full stop. Any case with a child victim is heinous; cases where the abuser held a position of trust are beyond the pale. Child predators are our priority. We will find them, we will charge them without compromise, and we will bring them to justice.”

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Colonel William D. Crotty, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police, emphasized the ongoing commitment to protecting vulnerable children.

“The Delaware State Police remains committed to protecting the community’s most vulnerable members, our children,” he said. “We commend the Colonial School District for promptly bringing this matter to our attention, allowing law enforcement to take immediate action.”

Arrest charges

Vila faces a total of 17 felony charges, including:

• 6 counts of Sexual Solicitation of a Child
• 6 counts of Promoting Sexual Solicitation of a Child
• 2 counts of Obscenity
• 1 count of Enticement for Purposes of Sexual Contact
• 1 count of Sexual Abuse of a Child by a Person in a Position of Trust, Second Degree
• 1 count of Dangerous Crime Against a Child

The charges stem from explicit text messages and social media exchanges Vila allegedly had with the student.

Authorities have not yet identified any additional victims, but they are urging anyone with information to come forward, particularly considering Vila’s position of trust as a teacher.

Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Detective Kevin Kelleher at (302) 365-8436.