Former teacher at Salesian in New Rochelle charged with sending teenager sexual messages
A former teacher at Salesian High School has been accused of sending sexually explicit videos and messages to a teenager while she worked at the New Rochelle school.
Mariela Barajas, a 22-year-old Mount Vernon resident, has been accused of sending illegal social media messages to a 15-year-old boy.
Barajas allegedly engaged in a series of sexually explicit conversations with the boy on Instagram and Snapchat in December 2021 and January 2022 while she worked at Salesian, an all-boys Catholic school, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office said on Monday.
Barajas allegedly sent the boy naked videos of herself engaged in sexual acts.
The District Attorney’s Office said it arrested Barajas following an investigation with the help of police in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle.
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Barajas was arraigned in Mount Vernon City Court on Monday on a felony charge of disseminating indecent material to minors. She is due back on Feb. 14.
Her lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
The District Attorney's Office encouraged anyone who has been a victim or has information on this case to contact its team at 914-995-8477.
Officials did not say how long Barajas worked at Salesian or if the victim is a student there.
"Salesian High School respectfully declines to comment on recent reports regarding the alleged conduct of a former employee, except to state that the matter has been referred to civil authorities and the school is fully cooperating with those authorities," the school said in a statement.
"Our central concern, as always, remains the safety and wellbeing of the young men in our care. We encourage anyone who has information about the alleged conduct to contact the Westchester County District Attorney's Office or the President of Salesian High School."
Matt Spillane covers breaking news throughout the Hudson Valley. Click here for his latest stories. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpillane. Check out our latest subscription offers here.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Former Salesian teacher accused of sending teenager sexual messages
