MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 Cesar Cardoso stands accused of sexually abusing girls who were his students when he worked as a teacher at Sunset Park Elementary School in Miami-Dade County\u2019s Kendall area. <\/p>\n
Cardoso, 53, who was reportedly removed from the classroom in April and lost his job in May, was accused of abusing girls from Aug. 1, 2023, to April 9, records showed. <\/p>\n
Cardoso appeared in court on Thursday. He has been behind bars since Sept. 11, when Miami-Dade Schools Police Department officers arrested him. <\/p>\n
Court records show Cardoso faced three charges on Sept. 12. Miami-Dade prosecutors have filed 10 more charges since, and said detectives were investigating additional cases. <\/p>\n
The alleged abuse included molestation and showing the third-grade students photos and videos of sexual acts, according to prosecutors. <\/p>\n
One of the images Cardoso allegedly showed the girls showed him naked, and another showed the sexual abuse of a boy, according to the police arrest report. <\/p>\n
On Thursday night, court records showed Cardoso faced 13 charges: <\/p>\n
Five counts of dissemination of obscene material to a minorFive counts of offenses against students by authority figuresTwo counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a victim under the age of 12 by a defendant who is 18 years of age or olderOne count of lewd or lascivious conduct with a person under 16 years old<\/p>\n
Attorney Michael Mirer, the defense attorney who is representing Cardoso, asked Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Zachary James to release him on bond. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy client is adamant that he is not guilty, the allegations are false, and he will look forward to his day in court,\u201d Mirer said. <\/p>\n
James denied Cardoso bail on the two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a victim under the age of 12 by a defendant who is 18 years of age or older.<\/p>\n
Miami-Dade corrections held Cardoso at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center near Doral, according to inmate records. A judge ordered him to stay away from five victims. <\/p>\n
As the case unfolded, a spokesperson for M-DCPS told Local 10 News that Cardoso was \u201cpermanently precluded from seeking or obtaining future employment\u201d with the district. <\/p>\n
Court records show Cardoso\u2019s next hearings are at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 12 and 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 30. <\/p>\n