A former assistant coach at St. Thomas More High School has been indicted in federal court, accused of child exploitation crimes.
He's the second STM coach fired and indicted on child sex charges this year.
Court records show that Angel Rafael Cardona a/k/a Angel Rafael Cardona Colon has been named in a three-count indictment handed up by a federal grand jury on Wednesday.
He's accused of attempting to create child pornography on July 11 and July 13 of this year, and of using a facility between June 6 and June 24 to entice a child to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Cardona was arrested last month and ordered held over for trial after a federal complaint was filed accusing him of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted production of child pornography.
So far, Cardona has not objected to being held in jail and no hearing to discuss bond has been scheduled, records show.
The indictment, which you can read by scrolling down, accuses Cardona of trying to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct in order to produce child pornography twice during July. It also alleges he used a "facility and means of interstate commerce" to entice the minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct between June 6 and July 24.
Cardona was arrested on July 23. That same day, STM sent an email to parents telling them about the arrest, and informing them that he had been fired. It also said that he was hired after the last day of school, which was May 25 according to the school's online-calendar, and that he had participated in summertime coaching duties. Summer workouts for the school's football team began June 5, according to the school's website. To read about his arrest, including the school's full email, click here.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact HSI at 337-262-6619.
Cardona is the second STM coach fired this year after being accused of child sex crimes.
Back in April, another STM coach, Jacob Delapaz, was fired after a video was circulated online, apparently showing Delapaz saying sexually explicit things to someone he tutors. As KATC investigates reported, Delapaz had previously been disciplined in Arkansas for inappropriate text messages to a student.
Despite that, he was hired in Vermilion Parish, and later by St. Thomas More High School. He now is being held in jail, awaiting trial on federal child exploitation charges. He's accused of attempted production of child pornography; prosecutors allege he enticed a minor to create child pornography. Until recently, he still appeared on the STM website, in photos of the football team and the school's football coaches.
To read more about the Delapaz case, click here and here.
Here's Wednesday's indictment of Cardona:
