How Could You? Hall of Shame-Rogelio Santos

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Apopka, Florida, foster father and teacher Rogelio Santos, 57, “was accused of sexually molesting young girls he was fostering, according to court records obtained by News 6.

In an arrest warrant affidavit, Apopka police said they were originally called back in August about a sexual battery that supposedly happened around 2015.

The victim told officers that the teacher — identified as Rogelio Santos, 57 — had molested her and her younger sister in the past while they were all living together.

“(She) advised Officer Sanchez (that Santos) had child pornography on his phone and made (her sister) ‘bleed’ at the age of nine,” the affidavit reads.

It turned out that Orange County Public Schools also received a message from the victim, which police said reads as follows:

“Hi, my name is [REDACTED], your P.E. coach Roy Santos was going to adopt me, my little sister and brother, whose names will not be released to you but the police he has child porn in his phone he molested my sister and made her bleed at 9 years old he touched me when I was there he worked at [REDACTED] at the time THIS WILL NOT GO UNSEEn ANY LONGER AND HE WILL BE INVESTIGATED IM CALLING THE POLICE MAKE A REPORT.”

After getting in touch with the victim and her sister, police learned they had been in foster care at the time of the sexual abuse, and they were both in the care of Santos.

“(The younger sister) stated (her older sister) repeatedly tried to report the abuse to the foster agency,” the affidavit continues. “However, it went unreported to the knowledge of (the younger sister).”

Afterward, police spoke with a DCF official, who said that Santos and his family never officially adopted the girls, nor have they fostered any children since the victims left his home. Another DCF agent said there were no reports of the alleged abuse in the agency’s system.

Police said they also spoke with Santos, who had been placed on administrative leave after the investigation kicked off. However, he denied the accusations against him.

“(He) stated he felt he had been ‘set up to fail’ by the State with regard to the children,” court records state. “(Santos) stated the children were misbehaved and caused significant stress to him and his wife. When asked to further elaborate, (Santos) stated the children were misbehaved at school and were often getting suspended.”

When asked about why the girls came forward with the allegations after such a long time, Santos said he didn’t know, but he mentioned a time when he and the older sister were watching TV.

“A story came on detailing a woman who had been awarded $5 million in a lawsuit regarding a rape,” police wrote. “After hearing the sum awarded to the victim, (Santos) stated (the sister) turned to him and said, ‘I wanna get raped.’”

Regardless, probable cause was established to arrest Santos, who now faces two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation, police revealed.”

Apopka teacher accused of sexually abusing girls in foster care, police say
[Click Orlando 3/18/26 by Anthony Talcott]

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