A Bronx music teacher pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to sexually abusing five minors, including a 12-year-old former student.
Prosecutors with the Southern District of New York identified 50-year-old Jesus Concepcion as the perpetrator, saying he groomed the five female students into performing sexual acts while teaching at KIPP Academy Middle School between 2000 and 2007.
“Jesus Concepcion engaged in a years-long scheme to manipulate, exploit, and sexually abuse young girls at the middle school where he taught,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “Concepcion abused his position of trust as the students’ teacher to lull them into a false sense of security and to then exploit them for his own sexual gratification.”
According to the investigation, Concepcion made the students believe that they were in a romantic relationship with him — providing them with money, clothing, jewelry, and other gifts.
In some instances, Concepcion provided the minors with alcohol, as well as cell phones to secretly communicate with them.
Prosecutors did not identify the victims but said that Concepcion had all five of them perform oral sex and sexual intercourse multiple times in various locations — including at the charter school campus, in his car, at motels, and inside his home.
On a number of occasions, Concepcion crossed state lines to have sex with the underage girls, meeting them in New Jersey and Connecticut — sending his case to federal court, and adding his pending punishment.
Authorities also allege that Concepcion took one victim, identified only as “Minor Victim-3,” to a New Jersey motel, and had sex with her against her will.
After another victim, referred to as “Minor Victim-1,” graduated middle school, the suspect traveled to her high school in Connecticut to have sex with her.
Concepcion was arrested in 2021.
The South Carolina native pled guilty on a 10-count indictment, which charged him with several crimes, including enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, and traveling with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity with a minor.
Concepcion will appear before a federal judge for sentencing and faces a life in prison for his actions.
