A former high school teacher and driving instructor is facing sexual assault charges after a 17-year-old driving student said she was inappropriately touched by him.
The incident happened at a driving school near Almeda Road and W. Orem Drive in Houston’s south side.
On Thursday, reporters heard straight from the lead investigator’s mouth that this case is hard to hear and talk about.
“It is very disturbing and difficult,” HPD Detective Curtis King said. “Imagine someone doing this and taking advantage of underage teens.”
The suspect was identified as 61-year-old Ronald Avery Eglin. He’s accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old student on Oct. 2 during a driving lesson.
Charging documents say Eglin rubbed the girl’s thigh during the lesson. Then, back in the office, he allegedly forced his hands down her underwear and made her touch him. When he was done, he showed her videos of himself on FaceTime with other girls performing sexual acts. The charging documents even say the victim recognized one of the girls as a 19-year-old friend.
“Anyone who comes forward in these kinds of cases, it’s extremely, extremely important to finding justice,” King said.
It’s reported Eglin told the girl to keep quiet about the assault and told her when he was drunk, he would become sexually aroused. Houston police didn’t say if Eglin was drunk during driving lessons.
The next day, the victim picked Eglin out of a mug-shot lineup. He’s now in jail on a $75,000 bond. But that’s not all. The charging documents mention five other police reports Eglin is reportedly connected to.
One of the cases is from 2018, citing a sexual performance by a child, and two are from this year. One was an indecent gesture and an investigation into a sex offense. Police wouldn’t give more details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The other two are HISD police reports. One report is for an improper relationship between an educator and student, and one is for harassment.
The court paperwork says Eglin works at Madison High School. When ABC13 reached out to HISD to learn if he’s still employed and more about the reports mentioned, the district responded with the following statement:
“Ronald Eglin of Texas School of Driving is restricted from all HISD buildings and facilities. He is prohibited from attending any HISD activities or meetings, picking up or dropping off HISD students, and accessing HISD property in any way. HISD cannot comment further on the law enforcement investigation or the charges.”
HISD communicated the following to the families of Madison High School:
“Effective immediately, the district has issued a ban against Ronald Eglin of Texas School of Driving. This absolute ban prohibits Mr. Eglin from entering HISD facilities, campuses, and buildings; it is necessary because the district has received reports of safety concerns about Mr. Eglin’s interaction with HISD students. In addition to not being able to enter any HISD building, Mr. Eglin will also be prohibited from picking up or dropping off HISD students. The safety of our students is our top priority, and the district believes this step is necessary to ensure that our schools remain a safe learning environment.”
HISD wouldn’t say in what capacity Eglin worked for the school or when.
Houston police said this young girl’s bravery could open the door for the other victims they believe to be out there.
“The information she was able to provide us, was able to lead us to much more information that there are other victims out there,” King said.
In probable cause court, a judge noted Eglin has operated his driving school for about 10 years, and he’s an active member of a church. She voiced her concern there would be other victims and ordered Eglin not to have contact with anyone under 17 without the court’s permission.
