A 27-year-old West Liberty school counselor was behind bars Tuesday after police say she sexually abused a boy younger than 14.
West Liberty Police arrested Emily Resendiz on Monday evening on several charges, including sexual exploitation and second-degree sex abuse.
In a financial affidavit filed Tuesday in Muscatine County Court, Resendiz says she works for The Children’s Place and West Liberty Middle School.
Resendiz, held on $100,000 cash-only bond in Muscatine County Jail, is set for a preliminary hearing on March 18 in Muscatine County Court, court documents say.
Muscatine County Court documents show Resendiz faces two felony charges of second-degree sexual abuse and an aggravated-misdemeanor charge of sexual exploitation by a counselor/therapist.
The incidents, according to arrest affidavits
On Jan. 24, 2022, the West Liberty Police Department was made aware of sexual exploitation between Resendiz and a juvenile, according to a news release from West Liberty Police Chief Eric Werling.
Resendiz was, at the time of the incident, a counselor at the West Liberty Middle School. Photos of the defendant kissing the victim were found on the victim’s phone, arrest affidavits say.
An investigation “led to officers discovering that sexual abuse had taken place at (her) home,” affidavits say. The victim disclosed to officers he was sexually abused by Resendiz on two separate occasions in 2021: Dec. 6 and on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, affidavits say.
The West Liberty Police Department was assisted by the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office and the JFACT Lab in Johnson County as they served several warrants and collected multiple pieces of evidence, according to the release.
During the investigation, evidence was discovered that Resendiz allegedly sexually abused the student on at least two separate occasions, the release says.
Police still seek more information, and ask anyone with information about the case to contact West Liberty Police, 319-627-2223.
“Sexual abuse and sexual exploitation are serious crimes, and they are never the fault of the victim,” Werling said in the news release. “If you or someone you know is a victim, we encourage you to come forward so we can assist you with resources.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sMHRqqyanJOewaqx0meaqKVfo7K4v46cqaKllWS%2BpHnSnJ%2Bop5xisLDBzaycpaeiYq6zvsSsq56cXZu8s3nSnq9mmZKqwKZ7