IRVING (WBAP/KLIF News) – Irving Police are asking parents to talk with their children about a Britain Elementary School music teacher that is facing child abuse charges related to a student.
Investigators said 50-year-old Edmund Charles Barrera is charged with second-degree felony child abuse and more charges could be filed.
The department’s James McClelland said a 10-year-old girl told them Barrera touched her in an intimate place while in a classroom and that the alleged abuse went on for years.
Other students have complained about contact with him that made them feel uncomfortable.
Investigators had been looking into Barrera for unwanted contact involving three other students but at the time the allegations amounted to simple assault.
He said once parents speak with their kids, investigators can determine if there are more victims.
“It’s important to having those conversations especially if they’re in his class or if they had been a student of his in the past,” he said.
McClelland said if any parents are unsure about how to approach the subject, there is help.
“Should they have any questions about how to have those conversations, I would locate the Family Advocacy Center near the police station in Irving and drop in with any of those counselors and they can give them recommendations on how to speak with their children about this,” he said.
The Irving Independent School District said it took immediate action once it learned of the accusations and removed Barrera from campus.
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