Bethesda After-School Worker Charged With Sex Offense

BETHESDA, MD — A man who worked for an after-school program at Carderock Springs Elementary in Bethesda has been charged with a sex offense for reportedly inappropriately touching a 10-year-old girl. Montgomery County Police have charged Roy Andres Simmons III, 41, of the 9500 block of Bell Vernon Place in Gaithersburg, with one count of fourth-degree sex offense and one count of second-degree assault.

The incident took place in November 2016 while Simmons was a temporary part-time paraeducator at Carderock Springs Elementary who also worked with the Kids Adventures before- and after-hours program at the school. Principal Jae W. Lee wrote in a letter to parents that Simmons was fired as soon as school leaders were told of the girl's allegations. (See the full text of Lee's letter below.)

In May of 2017, detectives began investigating the report of Simmons inappropriately touching the girl. The student told investigators that she was attending an after-school event at the school, 7401 Persimmon Tree Lane in Bethesda. Simmons served as a group leader for Kids Adventures and he was leading a group activity when he inappropriately touched the girl, who was separated from other students, authorities say.

When questioned by police, Simmons reportedly admitted to the inappropriate contact. He turned himself in to police Thursday. Bond information for Simmons is not yet available.

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Investigators believe there may be other victims in the case. Parents of students who may have had contact with Simmons are asked to talk to their children about their interactions with him and contact detectives at 240-773-5400 if they believe their child was victimized.

Principal Jae W. Lee's letter:

Dear Parents and Guardians:

I am writing to inform you about the arrest of Mr. Roy Andrew Simmons. Some students and staff may know him as “Andy.” Mr. Simmons was a former temporary part-time paraeducator at Carderock Springs Elementary School who also held a position with Kids Adventures, a before/after-hours program located at the school. Mr. Simmons is charged with one count of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree sex offense. According to the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), the charges stem from inappropriate contact with a student during the before/after-hours program.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has been fully cooperating with Child Protective Services, MCPD, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office on this matter. Pursuant to our memorandum of understanding with these agencies and MCPS policies and regulations, MCPS has not shared any details broadly with the community until now to avoid prejudicing the ongoing investigation.

Mr. Simmons was immediately terminated from MCPS after the allegations of his actions were shared with the school.

These charges are deeply concerning and wholly unacceptable. They represent a violation of the core values of our school and school system. This type of behavior does not reflect the principles of MCPS or our community, and it will not be tolerated.

As always, we are committed to the well-being of all our students. A support team of school psychologists, counselors, and pupil personnel workers from MCPS will join with our staff on October 6, 2017 and will be available to provide counseling and support to students, as needed.

Ensuring a safe learning environment for our students is our top priority. If you or your child have any information that may be helpful to the investigation, I ask that you call the Special Victims Investigations Division of the Montgomery County Police Department at 240-773-5400.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at Jae_W_Lee@mcpsmd.org and/or 240-740-0540 if you have questions.

Photo of Roy Andres Simmons III of Gaithersburg, courtesy of the Montgomery County Police Department