Alex Thomas
A Maryland teacher’s aide and coach has been indicted on 206-counts; a list that includes 97 counts of child pornography and five accounts of attempted transfer of HIV.
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Carlos Bell, 30, was arrested in June and in July, authorities announced a 119-count indictment but a further investigation drastically increased the counts. On Monday, that number increased to 206 and the number of victims increased from 24 to 42, Fox reports. Bell, who is HIV-positive was an school aide and track coach at a middle school in Waldorf, Maryland.
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After the July arrest, the superintendent of the district where Bell was employed told the Baltimore Sun, “These charges are horrific and I share in the disgust and outrage that our community is feeling.” The principal at the school where Bell worked was re-assigned but officials claim that when the suspect was hired, he had no criminal record and was not listed on any sex abuser registry.
The district was notified when a parent complained to police about inappropriate messages that Bell was sending her child. After he was fired, he still showed up at a track meet and later officials put a restraining order on him. Searches on his work computers didn’t result in anything suspicious but authorities found a cache of child pornography on his home computer.
His lawyer says they look forward to fighting the case and the state attorney’s office has said they are seeking life in prison.
