Former Mesalands instructor pleads guilty to felony charges

TUCUMCARI — A former faculty member of Mesalands Community College has pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony charges of child solicitation by electronic communication device and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Robert Moreau, 51, a former fine arts instructor at Mesalands, signed a plea agreement on Nov. 1 before 10th Judicial District Judge Ablert J. Mitchell.

The two charges involved a then-minor student who said Moreau had sexual encounters with him in exchange for money and alcohol.

Moreau agreed to a three-year suspended sentence and probation. Moreau will also register as a sex offender and be subject to sex offender supervision. Moreau will also make a $100 donation within the first six months of probation to the Quay County Domestic Violence Program.

Attempts to contact Moreau were unsuccessful.

According to the affidavit for arrest filed by Tucumcari Police Department officer Abel Cullum:

• The charges stem from an investigation initially started from a report on April 24 by the mother of one of Moreau’s other students. That mother told police Moreau messaged her son online and the conversations were sexually explicit. She also said she posed as her son online and conversed with Moreau.

• Cullum, with the assistance of 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office Investigator Lorenzo Emilio, determined Moreau used his phone for the conversations.

• Cullum and Emilio conducted interviews with current and former students of Moreau. A former male student said he was invited to Moreau’s residence. When he arrived, he was offered alcohol and performed sexual acts with Moreau.

• On followup visits, the student said Moreau gave him beer once and $40 on another. He said during each visit, sexual acts took place, and that Moreau offered up to $200 for further visits.

Meslands President Thomas Newsom declined to comment about Moreau or the case.

Newsom said Moreau had been employed at Mesalands from August 2013 to April 2017.