Who is Victor Zamora? Arizona school principal arrested for sexual misconduct with minors
MESA, ARIZONA: A school principal in Arizona has been arrested after it emerged he had "inappropriate relations" with two minors, and possibly more. Victor Zamora of the Legacy Academy in Mesa was arrested on July 22 under 15 counts of sexual misconduct and is currently being held on a million-dollar bond. The accusations against Zamora stem back to 2019, but police have hinted that other victims could emerge as they continue to build their case.
In the past, we've reported on several other school principals who have ended up in trouble. In June, we reported on the lawsuit against Evelina Medina, a Westchester school principal who forced her aid to take intimate photos of her. Weeks later, Melissa Carter in Florida was widely condemned for spanking a six-year-old on video. In May, headteacher Vickie Frederick was investigated after it emerged he forced students to reveal their sexuality in an "exorcism ritual".
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The allegations are serious enough against Zamora that he has been held on a million-dollar bond. According to reports, he has repeatedly been involved with a minor who was not a student at his school, and another who was a student. Officers in Chandler, Mesa, and Gilbert are currently working to locate additional victims, as they believe Zamora might have engaged in sexual acts with others as well.
Who is Victor Zamora?
Beyond court documents, little information is available about Zamora. Reportedly, he is a Mexican national who is in the US on a border crossing card. Prosecutors fear he may flee to Mexico with the card and have hence recommended he not be released on bond. Reportedly, the visa expired in 2019, meaning Zamora is in the country illegally. It is unclear how Zamora got a job, given that those on a B2 visa (as issued with a crossing card) can only enter the US for recreation, travel, visiting family, and medical treatment, not for employment or permanent residence.
Documents on July 27 say Zamora was unemployed, indicating that the school likely fired him. The charter school website has not mentioned Zamora's firing on any of its social media profiles, or publicly named a replacement. On the website, it lists a different principal, not Zamora. Fox News reported that the school did not respond when attempts were made to reach it.
The 40-year-old does not appear to have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn so we could not find out more about him. There is one Victor Zamora listed on Facebook, but the account appears unused. The only update was a 'Moved to Mesa' post on February 26, 2021. We know from court documents that Zamora was in the city long before that. According to police, he was also active as a youth leader in several religious communities all over the East Valley.
Allegations against Zamora
As of August 3, 2021, Zamora is accused of having relations with two minors. The first involves a minor from Chandler, who was not a student at Zamora's school. Reportedly, Zamora was attempting to "recruit" the boy to his school and would pick him up from home and take him to dinner, as well as his office. At the time, the victim was 16 years old when the incidents occurred in 2019. Police were then able to identify a second victim, who was a student at the school and was forced into sexual acts at the campus in Mesa between January 2020 and May 2021.
In September 2019, the victim confronted Zamora about the acts and said he would press charges. Zamora reportedly apologized and said he didn't mean any harm. It's unclear if the victim came forward to report the incident to the police. During a recorded conversation on July 19, 2021, Zamora admitted to the acts and was promptly arrested three days later. After being arrested, Zamora reportedly "confessed to sex acts with the victim who he knew to have been 16 to 17 years of age at the time, as well as two other juvenile male students from the Legacy Academy."
After being arrested from his home in Mesa, Zamora faced a preliminary hearing on August 2. His arraignment is scheduled for August 10. He faces 15 counts of misconduct with a minor, a class 2 felony. If convicted, Zamora faces anywhere between 3 and 12 years in prison for each minor and will have to register as a sex offender. In the meantime, he is being held at a Maricopa County Jail and is yet to make the $1M bond. If anyone has any additional information or is a victim of Zamora then you are urged to call the Chandler Police at 480-782-4130, Mesa Police at 480-644-2211 or the Gilbert Police Department at 480-503-6500.