Parents are speaking out after a Miami-Dade substitute teacher was arrested on child pornography charges following a year-long investigation.
Homestead Police said Wednesday that 37-year-old George Rafols uploaded a file containing child pornography last October.
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Rafols was employed by Miami-Dade County Public Schools as a substitute teacher at Airbase K-8 Center.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials said he had been employed by M-DCPS from 2016 to October 2023, at which time he was hired by Kelly Services, a staffing company.
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One mother said she and other volunteers celebrated Rafols' birthday about two weeks before his arrest and never noticed anything unusual.
"Sometimes I used to come and help, and he used to be fine, like a normal guy, nice and respectful. I can't believe it," she said. "I have two of my kids that they've been with him, and nothing wrong with him, they said."
Other parents, however, told NBC6 that their kids said he seemed creepy.
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Rafols was taken into custody and police said he is cooperating with investigators.
He was booked into jail Wednesday on charges of promoting sexual performance by a child, records show.
M-DCPS officials said they weren't notified of Homestead Police's pear-long investigation into Rafols, but became the liaison law enforcement agency at the point that Homestead Police was ready to make the arrest.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools issued a statement on his arrest, calling the allegations against him concerning.
"The Homestead Police Department conducted their investigation with help from Miami-Dade Schools Police and although he is not an employee of M-DCPS, he will no longer be able to serve as a substitute teacher in the District. M-DCPS goes to great lengths to provide a safe school environment for our students and employees," the statement read.
