An El Paso middle school math teacher is facing serious charges, accused of grooming a 12-year-old student, sexually abusing her in his vehicle, and sending explicit messages and images, according to court documents.
Llojan Almaraz, a teacher at Captain Walter E. Clarke Middle School, was first arrested on September 13 by officers from the Socorro Independent School District (SISD) Police Department. He is charged with child grooming, having an improper relationship with a student, indecency with a child, and sexual performance by a child, based on El Paso County jail records.
The 28-year-old was initially held on a $150,000 bond, but posted bail and was released the following day. A week later, on September 20, Almaraz was arrested again, this time on two counts of online solicitation of a minor. He was released the same day after posting an additional $80,000 bond. Currently, no attorney is listed in court records, and his booking photo has not been made public.
Almaraz, employed at the school since October 2021, has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. “This is an ongoing investigation,” said SISD spokesperson Christy Flores-Jones. “The individual is currently on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds. We are unable to provide further details at this time.”
Court filings indicate that Almaraz began grooming the 12-year-old girl, who was his student during the 2023-2024 school year. On August 28, a school police officer was informed of inappropriate communication between Almaraz and the student, which was reported by the school’s principal. The girl’s mother told authorities that her daughter and Almaraz had been exchanging text messages and phone calls, some of which were explicit in nature. The mother also provided a screen recording showing inappropriate text conversations, including explicit images of Almaraz.
The court documents further allege that Almaraz bought the girl gifts such as a lanyard, a FunkoPop figure, Pandora bracelet charms, and a gold necklace. In their messages, Almaraz allegedly made disturbing comments, including expressing a desire to sneak into the girl’s room and referring to her as a “sex slave.” He also reportedly sent her money via online transfer apps for purchases like Starbucks.