A New Jersey high school teacher charged with manufacturing child sexual abuse material secretly recorded kids at two malls as well as at least one student at the school where he worked, officials allege.
Axel Palomares was seen on surveillance video entering and “spending a considerable amount of time” in bathrooms in Macy’s and elsewhere at Bridgewater Commons on March 28, according to a criminal complaint outlining charges against the 50-year-old.
Palomares, who taught Spanish and coached girls soccer at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison, also visited Short Hills Mall in Millburn on multiple occasions and it “did not appear (he) was there to shop for merchandise,” the affidavit of probable cause states.
His Kik account was using the public internet at the mall at the same time license plate readers showed his vehicle parked there, investigators said
On Oct. 4, Palomares recorded a female student at the Catholic high school, authorities allege. Two videos found on one of his iPhones shows a female student wearing the school uniform slightly bent over a desk in front of a teacher’s desk. The video zoomed in and shows the student’s buttocks and underwear under her skirt, the complaint states.
Authorities learned about Palomares after getting a cybertip from the Kik messaging app on Dec. 13 regarding an account holder discussing child sex abuse material, secretly recording children and fantasies about abusing them.
An undercover officer then began communicating with Palomares on the teacher’s Telegram account. Palomares discussed child sex abuse material as well as sexually abusing juveniles, the complaint said.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Palomares’ home in Morristown and found a small recording device used to secretly record people, the affidavit said. They also uncovered files of sexual abuse material in addition to pictures and videos recorded in the malls, the court document says.
Authorities also found two videos on another iPhone that were recorded at the St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
No secret recording devices or cameras were found Tuesday when investigators searched the school following his arrest.
Palomares was arrested and charged Tuesday with second-degree counts of manufacturing child sexual abuse material and endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material and fourth-degree invasion of privacy.
He remains held in the Middlesex County jail ahead of a detention hearing scheduled for Friday.
Palomares attorney didn’t return a call from NJ Advance Media on Thursday.
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at [email protected].
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