Former District teaching assistant charged with child rape, communication with minor for immoral purposes

Edmonds resident Roberto Rodriquez, 47, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in King County Superior Court to three counts of child rape in varying degrees and one count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. The suspect had worked at both Edmonds-Woodway High and Madrona K-8 School as a paraeducator in the EWHS Regional Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program (DHH). The charges address alleged crimes involving one of his students committed between December 2020 and January 2026.

According to court documents, Rodriquez first met the victim when she was 5 years old while he was employed by Seattle Children’s Hospital in their summer program for the deaf. When she began kindergarten in Edmonds through the DHH program, he started working directly with her as a paraeducator through the Edmonds School District. 

Her parents subsequently hired Rodriquez as a private tutor when the girl was 7, and he would regularly work with her in an upstairs attic room at her parents’ home in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. The abuse is alleged to have started when the victim was 10 years old, and occurred exclusively at her parents’ home. She is now 15. 

According to court documents, the investigation started on Jan.17, when the victim’s parents iscovered text messages on their daughter’s phone and iPad showing what appeared to be an ongoing sexual relationship between her and Rodriguez.

The parents notified Seattle and Edmonds police, who in turn alerted the School District. The information from the parents was sufficient to establish probable cause, and Edmonds Municipal Court Judge Neil Weiss issued an arrest warrant the afternoon of Jan. 19. Edmonds police officers went to the suspect’s home, served the warrant and took the suspect into custody without incident. 

Because initial investigations revealed that the crimes were committed in the City of Seattle, Edmonds police turned the investigation over to Seattle authorities and had no further involvement.

ESD Assistant Superintendent Greg Schwab immediately wrote a letter to families at the schools where the suspect had worked, sharing what he called this “difficult and deeply concerning” information.

“We have been informed by the Edmonds Police Department that a paraeducator at Edmonds-Woodway High School and Madrona K-8 has been arrested on charges involving child sexual assault,” the letter said. “Upon learning of this information, the individual was immediately put on administrative leave and will be trespassed from all school and district property.” 

He encouraged families to talk with students, reminding them that the school’s counselors, administrators, and support staff are available to families who may need assistance processing this information.”

Rodriquez’s bail was set at $750,000. He posted bond and is free under conditions of no contact with the victim, no additional offenses and no firearms.

His trial is scheduled for March 23 in Seattle.