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Dist. 131 bilingual teacher charged with abusing two 8-year-old students

A first-grade bilingual teacher at East Aurora School District 131 has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing two of his 8-year-old students.

Luis R. Mora, 58, of the 1500 block of Golden Oaks Parkway, Aurora, faces two felony charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He is accused of abusing the victims between August 2018 and May 2019, according to prosecutors.

School officials released a statement Wednesday, explaining that officials "immediately contacted" the Department of Children and Family Services after being told on April 24 of "alleged inappropriate behavior" between a staff member and student.

DCFS turned over the matter to local authorities, and the Kane County Child Advocacy Center and Aurora police department investigated the case.

School officials said they learned Tuesday that Mora, a teacher at Dieterich Elementary School, was being charged.

"Our top priority is the safety and emotional well-being of our students," read part of the district's statement. "Each of our employees receives periodic training regarding maintaining appropriate professional boundaries with students. District 131 has worked very hard to establish a culture of trust within our school communities. Anything that threatens to erode student safety or our culture of trust is something we take very seriously."

Prosecutors said the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information should call the Kane County Child Advocacy Center at (630) 208-5160.

Judge Keith Johnson set Mora's bail at $75,000 Wednesday, meaning he must post $7,500 to be released from the Kane County jail while the charges are pending.

If Mora posts bond, he is banned from having contact with the victims, cannot have unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 14, and must surrender his passport to the Kane County sheriff's office.

Mora is next due in court June 19 and faces a top prison term of seven years if convicted, along with lifetime registration as a sex offender.

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