Middle school teacher arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·2 min read
5
La Contenta Middle School teacher Anthony Borges III, 48, of Yucca Valley was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, sheriff’s officials reported.
La Contenta Middle School teacher Anthony Borges III, 48, of Yucca Valley was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, sheriff’s officials reported.

A Yucca Valley middle school teacher is accused of being in possession of child pornography, according to San Bernardino County sheriff's officials.

On Nov. 7, crimes against children detectives received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning child sexual abuse material.

Joseph Anthony Borges III, 48, was identified as the suspect.

Borges is a teacher at La Contenta Middle School, sheriff's deputies said. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Morongo Basin Unified School District administrators stated.

Borges was arrested and booked into the Morongo Basin jail. His bail was set at $40,000. He has since been released from custody, according to sheriff’s booking records.

As of Tuesday, San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office had not filed criminal charges against Borges.

La Contenta Middle School teacher Anthony Borges III, 48, of Yucca Valley was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, sheriff’s officials reported.
La Contenta Middle School teacher Anthony Borges III, 48, of Yucca Valley was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, sheriff’s officials reported.

Morongo Unified School District 

Morongo school district officials took to social media on Tuesday to address the arrest of Borges and available counseling services for students.

“Upon learning of the arrest, The Morongo Unified School District took immediate action to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” district officials stated.

Administrators stated that the district has a “zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that puts the well-being of its students at risk.”

It's unclear if any La Contenta Middle School students were identified as victims.

"We know that news of (Borges') arrest will impact our entire community and counseling services will be made available to students when they return from Thanksgiving break,” Superintendent Patricio Vargas stated. "The allegations against Mr. Borges are deeply troubling and go against the values and principles we hold dear in our school district.”

Vargas added that the district will continue to take "all necessary steps to address this situation and support our community during this challenging time."

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call (909) 890-4904. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can contact the We-Tip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME (27463) or wetip.com. 

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Teacher arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography