ST. GEORGE — A middle school counselor was arrested last week for crimes he allegedly committed over a decade ago in Washington County.
On March 21, David Scott Curtis, 54, was arrested by officers in Mesquite, Nevada, after Washington County authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. Curtis was charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a minor for crimes he reportedly committed more than 10 years ago in St. George, Mesquite Police Department Sgt. Wyatt Oliver said in a statement released last week.
At the time of the arrest, Curtis was employed as a school counselor at Charles A. Hughes Middle School in Mesquite. The school is part of the Clark County School District in Nevada, which also covers the Las Vegas area.
Oliver told St. George News they were unaware of any allegations against Curtis until the day the warrant was issued. Once they confirmed the information with St. George detectives, he said officers went directly to the middle school to arrest him.
“We were communicating with detectives in Utah,” Oliver said. “But once everything was confirmed, we wasted no time in arresting the suspect that same day.”
Curtis was transported to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, where he will be held until arrangements are made for him to return to Washington County to face the charges.
While authorities did not receive any other reports about Curtis while he was employed at Charles A. Hughes Middle School, Oliver said anyone with information about Curtis during his time in Mesquite should contact the Mesquite Police Department at 702-346-6911 and ask for Detective Justin Cheney.
St. George Police Officer Tiffany Mitchell told St. George News the victim reported abuse that happened years ago, which initiated the investigation and ultimately led to a warrant being issued for Curtis’s arrest. The investigation is ongoing, Mitchell said, adding that anyone who may have witnessed crimes involving Curtis should contact St. George Police Detective Zackary Bate at 435-627-4319 or by email at [email protected].
No further information is being released at this time.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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