LCPS principal charged with possession of child porn; teacher not arrested as initially reported

According to Homeland Security Investigations, Joel Aguilar Villanueva, a Principal of Zia Middle School, was arrested on the charges of transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

HSI special agents made the arrest this morning in Las Cruces. Villanueva is being held at the Dona Ana Detention Center on a no bond hold.

Villanueva will appear in Federal Court Thurdsay morning.

Stay with ABC-7 for more updates on this story.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Initially, a Homeland Security Investigations official told ABC-7 a second man, who worked as a teacher for Centennial and Mayfield High School, was arrested for charges of transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography. HSI has since then confirmed that the teacher, identified as Stephen Mendoza, was only questioned in connection to the incident but was released and never charged.