Latest news with #AxelPalomares
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Yahoo
Investigation in St. Thomas Aquinas teacher's child sexual abuse case continues
NEW BRUNSWICK – A teacher from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison charged with possessing child sexual abuse material is slated to return to court in September. The September court date for 50-year-old Axel Palomares, a Morristown resident, will be the continuation of a pre-indictment conference held July 17 before Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Joseph Paone, according to court officials. The new date will allow more time for the state to continue the investigation, court officials said. Palomares, who taught Spanish and coached girls soccer at the school, was arrested in May and charged with having child sex abuse material. He also allegedly had a video on his iPhone of the underwear of a female student bent over a teacher's desk, according to court documents that indicate the student was wearing a St. Thomas Aquinas uniform and the recording was made at the high school. He has been charged with second-degree manufacturing of child sexual abuse material, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material and fourth-degree invasion of privacy. Court documents indicate Palomares allegedly had student-teacher sexual fantasies based on his social media posts. A police search of the Tingley Lane school, including locker rooms and bathrooms, found no hidden electronic equipment, cameras or recording devices. Authorities have not found any evidence of physical abuse at the school, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, but the investigation is continuing. The investigation began in December 2024 when authorities received a tip about child sexual abuse material on a messaging app, according to court documents. Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on the account and found it was used to discuss child sexual assault material, fantasies about committing child sexual abuse and installing hidden cameras to watch children. Messages on the account indicated it was owned by a teacher with fantasies about students, and the login addresses were traced to the high school, Bridgewater Commons and Short Hills malls. Court documents also show surveillance footage was obtained of Palomares spending "a considerable amount of time" in several bathrooms at Macy's in Bridgewater Commons. An undercover investigation included communication with Palomares on another social media site in which he allegedly discussed child sex assault material which led to police obtaining a search warrant for his home where numerous electronic devices, including a small recording device which could be used to secretly record someone, were found, court document state. Authorities also found an iPhone in a teacher's school laptop bag containing numerous files of child sexual abuse material along with pictures and videos showing the underwear of young girls that appeared to have been recorded in public places, like the mall. Email: srussell@ Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on St. Thomas Aquinas teacher's child sexual abuse case probe continues
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NJ Catholic school teacher accused of secretly recording young girls
A now former New Jersey high school teacher is accused of secretly recording girls at two different malls, and at least one student at the Catholic school where he worked. Axel Palomares, 50, was arrested on Tuesday following the execution of a search warrant at his home in Morristown, authorities announced. He's facing multiple charges including creating and possessing child sex abuse material. Prior to his arrest, Palomares taught Spanish and coached the girls soccer team at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison, according to An investigation into Palomares began in December after authorities received a tip regarding a user on the Kik chat app talking about his illicit recordings and having fantasies of abusing kids. Amid their investigation, law enforcement learned that Palomares had been seen on surveillance video 'spending a considerable amount of time' in bathrooms at the Bridgewater Commons, according to a criminal complaint. He was also seen on various occasions at the Short Hills Mall in Millburn, where he's believed to have recorded young girls in compromising positions. He's similarly accused of filming upskirt videos of at least one female student at St. Thomas Aquinas. A warrant obtained by ABC 7 says the alleged misconduct occurred between April 2022 to at least March of this year. The search of Palomares' home turned up a small recording device and hundreds of images of child sex abuse, authorities said. No cameras or other other recording equipment were found when they swept the school following his arrest, reported Palomares is currently being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility while awaiting a pre-trial detention hearing on Friday. In a statement to ABC 7, the Catholic Diocese of Metuchen said it was 'devastated to learn' that its students' privacy may have been violated by the 'sickening conduct' of which Palomares is accused.
