A teacher at La Contenta Middle School has been arrested for alleged possession of child pornography.
According to the County Sheriff’s Department, Joseph Anthony Borges III, a 48 year-old resident of Yucca Valley and teacher at the Yucca Valley middle school, was arrested for investigation into possession of child pornography on Monday (November 20).
The Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division – Crimes Against Children Detail received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) concerning child sexual abuse material, which they say identified Borges as a suspect and led to his arrest.
A representative from Morongo Unified School District confirmed that Borges has been employed by the district since 2013, and was teaching at La Contenta Middle School, but has been placed on administrative leave after his arrest. A statement from the school district says that it is unknown if La Contenta students were affected by Borges’ actions.
MUSD Superintendent Dr. Patricio Vargas said, “The allegations against Mr. Borges are deeply troubling and go against the values and principles we hold dear in our school district.”
Joseph Anthony Borges III was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography and booked into the Morongo Basin. He is currently out of custody on $40,000 bail.
UPDATED, 4 p.m.: An earlier version of this story said that Borges had worked for MUSD since 2018. The MUSD amended their initial statement, saying that he has been with the district since 2013.
