Fort Worth teacher accused of molesting 12-year-old
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth police arrested a kindergarten teacher who allegedly molested a 12-year-old child.
Joel Emmett Allen, 48, is facing charges for indecency with a child by sexual contact, which is a second-degree felony.
Police said the victim talked to a school resource officer on Wednesday about what happened. Officers arrested Allen on the same day.
“Obviously, this child had a comfortable relationship with the school resource officer and made an outcry,” said Fort Worth Officer Jimmy Pollozani. “The officer, without hesitation, contacted our Crimes Against Children Unit detectives who immediately got on the case, worked tirelessly on the case and came to a closure with the arrest of the individual.”
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Allen sexually abused the young girl several times over the past year – touching her clothing, trying to unzip her pants and exposing himself. She was a student at a different school.
The victim told detectives that Allen tried to rape her Tuesday. She told a friend what happened and that friend encouraged her to report it to the police, the affidavit states.
When detectives asked Allen about the allegations, the affidavit states he remained silent. After about 20 minutes Allen told the detectives the allegations were serious, and he didn’t want to talk to them.
The police document doesn’t reveal any details about how Allen knew the victim, but it does state that he was not allowed to return home because Child Protective Services had opened an investigation.
Police said detectives don’t often make arrests on the same day there is an outcry of sexual abuse. But in this case, the detectives worked tirelessly to investigate, interview and ultimately arrested Allen that day.
Fort Worth ISD said Allen, a kindergarten teacher at A.M. Pate Elementary School, has been with the district since 2000. He will be placed on administrative leave.
Police say the victim does not attend A.M. Pate Elementary and that the alleged assault did not happen there.
Allen is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a $15,000 bond.