Deltona, FL - A janitor from Timbercrest Elementary School in Deltona was arrested at the school on several counts of sexual battery and incest, including sexual battery of a child.
76-year-old George Cortes was arrested at Timbercrest at around 10:30 AM on Friday after Volusia County Sheriff's Office (VCSO) had been investigating him since mid-June. Two young females (who were not students at the school) told police in June that Cortes had sexually assaulted them between 2014 and 2015. One victim was 15 to 16 years old at the time, and the other was 18 to 19.
An investigation revealed that Cortes sexually battered the older woman on two occasions, even coming into her room and fondling her in her bed. According to VCSO, Cortes also sexually abused the younger victim both at her home and after bringing her into his own bedroom.
Cortes worked at Timbercrest since February 2017 as an employee of GCA, a third-party vendor that provides custodial and grounds services to Volusia County Schools. According to a message from the school principal to parents, a background check was conducted when Cortes was hired, and he had no prior convictions. He will no longer be able to work for any Volusia County school.
None of the incidents of sexual abuse occurred at the school or had any connection with students at the school. There was no direct connection with the school or school activities, but because of the nature of the allegations and descriptions of Cortes’s behavior, detectives are asking parents of kids who knew Cortes to talk with their children and report anything suspicious to the Sheriff’s Office Child Exploitation Unit at 386-323-3574.
"At this point, we don't have any reason to believe he has other victims at the school, but just to be safe, we want any parents of kids there who encountered him, if they have anything they're worried about or any suspicions, we want them to contact (us)," says Andrew Gant, Public Informaton Officer for VCSO.
Cortes faces three counts of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 18, one additional count of sexual battery, and three counts of incest. Deputies searched Cortes’s home on Normandy Blvd. and seized evidence that will be examined as the investigation continues. Additional charges are possible. There are no other victims that VCSO is aware of at this time.
"We're continuing to investigate, and when we served the search warrant this morning at his residence, we took some evidence out that we'll look at and may file additional charges depending on what we find there," says Gant.
(Cortes's mugshot courtesy Volusia County jail)
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