A school principal in Arizona was arrested on July 22 under 15 counts of sexual misconduct with students for the past two years. He worked as a principal and teacher of a school in Mesa and had 'inappropriate relations' with minors.
Victor Zamora, 40, of the Legacy Academy in Mesa, has allegedly been in the US illegally for two years. Zamora sexually assaulted two victims, both boys. One was a student at Legacy. The other was the sibling of a student, according to The Tribune.
The Accusations Against Zamora Traced Back to 2019
The incidents began in 2019, when Zamora allegedly committed various sexual acts with a person who was 16 at the time, according to according to court documents obtained by TV station Fox 10. Zamora recruited a boy, 16 to attend his school in April 2019.
"The first incident happened in April, after the victim and Zamora had dinner," the station reported. Police said Zamora took the boy to dinner, and afterward, began to touch the boy's chest, shoulder and legs, according to the azfamily.com website.
Paperwork states Zamora took the boy to a parking lot, where the victim says Zamora told him to get into the back seat, and they engaged in sexual acts. The website stated that the second incident happened in May 2019 when Zamora drove the victim to his office in Mesa and again engaged in sexual acts.
Zamora Faces 15 counts of Misconduct with a Minor
Zamora was arrested on July 22 and is currently being held at the Maricopa County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Following Zamora's arrest, he admitted to engaging with numerous sexual acts with the minor victim while knowing his age. He also admitted to having engaged in sexual acts with two other male students from Legacy Academy. The most recent incident reportedly happened in May of 2021, reported Fox 10.
Multiple media reports say that officers in Chandler, Mesa, and Gilbert are currently working to locate additional victims, as they believe Zamora might have engaged in sexual acts with others as well.
After being arrested from his home in Mesa, Zamora faced a preliminary hearing on August 2. His arraignment is scheduled for August 10. He faces 15 counts of misconduct with a minor, a class 2 felony.
Zamora Lived in the US Illegally
Police recommended Zamora not be released because he's a citizen of Mexico whose visa expired in 2019. According to his booking record, "Victor Zamora entered into the United States on a Class B2 Visa, which expired 07/25/2019 ...Defendant has a means to flee to Mexico, as he is in the US illegally."
He was also active as a youth leader in various religious communities in the East Valley.
