Thermal school teacher arrested for child sexual assault pleads not guilty
A Thermal middle school teacher accused of child sexual abuse pleaded not guilty in Indio court Friday.
50-year-old Marco Antonio Cardenas was booked several felony charges related to sexual assault on Wednesday.
News Channel 3 has confirmed that he is a teacher at Toro Canyon Middle School in Thermal.
“We can confirm that he is an employee of the District. As far as the District is aware, the allegations do not involve any CVUSD students,” Coachella Valley Unified School District Superintended Maria Gandera wrote in an email statement to News Channel. “However, we take all allegations very seriously and will cooperate with local law enforcement if called upon to do so.”
Cardenas appeared in court on Friday afternoon and was ordered to return on August 20. His bail has been reduced from $15,000,000 to $3,000,000.
The judge also put a protective order in place for the victim during Friday’s proceedings.
Gandera also sad that there would be no further comments on the matter because the police investigation is active and it is a district personnel matter.
According to county jail records, Cardenas was arrested on Bagdad Avenue in Coachella by deputies assigned to La Quinta on August 7.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department confirmed on Friday that the victim was not one of Cardenas’ former students.
According to RSO, earlier this month, the Thermal Sheriff’s Station received a report of Lewd Acts upon a child which had allegedly been committed in La Quinta. Investigators later determined the sexual assault occurred between 2002 and 2003.
ORIGINAL STORY: Local man accused in child sexual assault from 2002 to 2003
The investigation remains ongoing, investigators ask that anyone with further information contact Investigator Berryman at (760) 863-8950. You can also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form, click here to visit that page.
