SAN DIEGO — A Hoover High School associate principal was arrested and accused of sending lewd images to a minor.
Hoover High School Associate Principal Charles De Freitas, 41, was arrested by San Diego Police on Wednesday on charges of distributing lewd matter to a minor and possession of child pornography.
De Freitas was arrested and booked into Central Detention Facility, San Diego police said.
According to the San Diego Police Department, De Freitas has worked for the San Diego Unified School District for more than 13 years. De Freitas has served as a teacher at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and as an administrator at Hoover High School.
The investigation was launched after a minor reported that De Freitas sent and requested ''illicit images'' on a social media app.
San Diego police said detectives executed a search warrant and seized multiple devices that will be analyzed for potential child sexual abuse materials.
Because of De Freitas' access to and involvement with children, detectives are also searching for other potential victims, according to police.
"To be honest, I was shocked," said Hoover sophomore Adrian Alcaraz. "A lot of students knew him well, and he was a trusted adult. To hear the news was shocking. He was one of those guys you'd never expect to do that stuff, you know."
"Nobody knows until there is proof," added Joshua Sandoval, another sophomore at Hoover. "He was respectful. He was always making sure that there were no drugs on the campus, always being a good (associate) principal. I never knew none of this was going on."
In a letter to Hoover High School families, Principal Tracy Makings said De Freitas was placed on leave and is not allowed on campus.
The letter obtained by CBS 8 said in part:
“At Hoover, our first priority is to provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students. We also believe in communicating openly with our students and parents about incidents that affect our campus.
Following an investigation led by the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Associate Principal Charles De Freitas was arrested off campus yesterday on charges of Distributing Lewd Matter to a minor and Possession of Obscene Matter. The Associate Principal has been placed on leave and will not be allowed on campus. The district and our school police department are supporting investigators as needed.
If you have any concerns about your student’s interaction with this individual, please contact the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 858-495-4779, or the San Diego Unified School District Police Department at 619-725-7000.
Please know that we are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for our students. Counseling services are available for any student who may need support during this challenging time."
In the letter, Makings said that the district and school is continuing to monitor the investigation.
De Freitas will be arraigned next week at San Diego Superior Court in Downtown San Diego.
San Diego Police are asking anyone who suspects De Freitas may have abused other children to contact SDICAC Investigator Laura Hurtado at lhurtado@sdicac.org.