A Trusted Face, A Double Life
October 29, 2025 The community of the Bronx, NY, is reeling from a shocking case of betrayal after a trusted employee at a local elementary school was sentenced for sexually abusing students. Cesar Ortega Licona, a 38-year-old teacher’s aide (paraprofessional) at P.S. 30 Wilton School, was supposed to be helping children. Instead, he led a terrifying double life, exploiting his position of trust for nearly a year.
How the Abuse Happened
Ortega Licona used his access within the school to groom and abuse at least 10 children, some as young as 8 years old. The abuse occurred between March and December, even happening in places like school bathrooms and classrooms—locations where kids should feel completely safe.
Prosecutors detailed how Ortega Licona leveraged his authority, primarily targeting boys by:
- Grooming them with seemingly innocent rewards like snacks, candy, and playing games on his phone.
- Isolating them by directing them into the bathroom during class or pulling them from classrooms under the fake pretense of escorting them to legitimate school activities, like speech therapy.
The Investigation and Justice
The disturbing pattern of abuse was finally uncovered when one student bravely told his family about an encounter. The school reported the claims, and a full investigation revealed the extent of the abuse involving multiple students, all under the age of 12.
Ortega Licona was arrested in December and later pleaded guilty in Bronx Supreme Court to multiple counts of sex abuse and child endangerment.
This week, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. He will also face 10 years of post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark emphasized the betrayal, stating that Ortega Licona "preyed on children who trusted him, taking advantage of their vulnerability in a place where they should have felt safest."
