District 116 teacher arrested on sexual abuse charges

A Round Lake-area schoolteacher has been arrested on a warrant that alleges he sexually assaulted four children under the age of 13, Round Lake Beach Police officials said Tuesday.

Manuel Reyes, 55, was arrested Saturday at his home in the 9900 block of 69th Street in Kenosha after being charged with six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, Deputy Police Chief Rich Chiarello said.

Reyes is held in the Kenosha County Jail on the $100,000 warrant, but is expected to go in front of a judge on Thursday to determine if he will waive extradition, Chiarello said.

If he waives extradition, he can be transferred to Lake County jail and could be in bond court as early as Friday, Chiarello said.

Reyes, a third-grade teacher at Raymond Ellis Elementary School in Round Lake Beach, inappropriately touched four victims under the age of 13 between Aug. 18, 2010 and March 23, 2011, Chiarello said.

To protect the identity of the victims, Chiarello would not say whether the victims were students of Reyes' at Ellis or where the attacks took place.

Chiarello said police were tipped off to the attacks by a parent of one of the victims.

“Through the course of the investigation, we learned of the three additional victims,” he said.

District 116 Superintendent Constance Collins said Reyes was in his sixth year teaching in the district, and was considered a self-contained classroom instructor.

Collins said district officials learned of the arrest and called parents districtwide Tuesday morning to inform them. A letter also is being sent home to parents Tuesday, she said.

“The goal of the district is to keep schools free of harassment of staff and students,” she said. “Whenever a complaint of harassment is brought forward, we make a prompt report to (the Department of Children and Family Services) and the authorities per applicable laws and board policy.”

She added the arrest was a surprise to her and other Ellis school officials, and came without any previous complaints filed against Reyes.

“We have since met with the staff to let them know to what has happened,” Collins said. “Coincidentally, there was a seminar scheduled with the staff on sexual abuse this week, and one of our central office staff members is trained as a sexual assault crisis advocate and is available for anyone who needs it.”