Legacy Christian leader faces 28 counts of criminal acts against children
OTERO, New Mexico - An Otero County Grand Jury indicted Trevor Lavalais on additional counts of sexual assault of students at Legacy Christian Academy.
Back on Feb. 11 Lavalais was arrested by Alamogordo Police after a student reached out to a counselor to report the former principal had made him watch porn. He was charged with six counts of sexual abuse of a child.
On Feb. 23 a grand jury indicted Lavalais on additional charges, the most serious being criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13 years of age. If convicted on this one charge he faces up to 18 years in prison.
Alamogordo Police and the 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office interviewed five victims after the initial outcry. Investigators are urging parents of current and former students at Legacy Christian Academy to come forward.
According to court documents obtained by ABC-7, Lavalais is accused of criminal acts against children and grooming behaviors both at the school and his home.
He is being held in the Otero Detention Center until his pretrial detention is heard on April 1.
Lavalais resigned from his position at the school the day he was arrested.
