Ex-State High teacher found guilty of inappropriately touching student
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- Jury convicted former State College Spanish teacher Cesar J. Caceres on all charges.
- Teen testified he closed the classroom door, touched her and asked explicit questions.
- Caceres remains free on $25,000 unsecured bail; sentencing set for March 6.
A former State College Area High School teacher was convicted Wednesday of inappropriately touching a student and asking her sexually explicit questions in his classroom.
Cesar J. Caceres, 45, was found guilty by a Centre County jury of all charges — a felony count of unlawful contact with a minor and misdemeanor counts of corruption of a minor and indecent assault — at the end of a three-day trial.
Six men and six women deliberated about 4 1/2 hours before they announced their verdict.
Centre County Assistant District Attorney Julia Lockman said during her opening statement Monday that the former Spanish teacher “crossed the line” and took advantage of a 15-year-old sophomore who was struggling socially.
The teen told investigators Caceres closed the classroom door before she could leave for lunch in December 2022, sat uncomfortably close and asked her sexually explicit questions while they were alone. She also said he rubbed her back and bare thigh, ran his fingers through her hair and wiped a tear from her face.
She testified Tuesday that she was “really freaked out” and hesitant to tell anyone what happened. She described feeling “awful” and “disgusting” as he touched her.
She also told jurors she didn’t immediately leave for lunch because she “had a lot of issues” in the school, including bullying. She graduated from a virtual school.
“It’s been holding me back for a long time,” she tearfully testified. “... Makes me feel really weak.”
Security camera footage played during the trial showed Caceres looked for the teen after she hid in a restroom.
When she went to her next class, social studies teacher Trevor Dietz testified she was “very upset and teary-eyed.” Caceres then interrupted the class to speak with her in the hallway, which Dietz said was unusual and made her more upset.
The assault took place shortly before the district’s winter break and Caceres was placed on administrative leave immediately after the student reported the allegations, the State College Area School District wrote in a statement after he was charged.
The district said in a written statement Wednesday that it hopes the verdict “brings some closure and peace to the victim and their family.”
“As we have said, student safety is our highest priority. Nothing is more critical than the trust of our students, employees, and community at-large,” the district said. “Any infringement on that relationship is heartbreaking, and we will continue to do everything we can to repair any harm that has been done. Behavior of this nature violates our core values and will never be tolerated.”
Defense attorney Michael J. Diamondstein delivered an animated, fiery opening statement to tell jurors the allegations made for a heart-tugging story, but were not supported by the evidence.
“Mr. Caceres did not do anything inappropriate” with the student, Diamondstein said. “Not one thing.”
When asked if he inappropriately touched the teen or asked her sexually explicit questions, Caceres testified “No.” He told the jury she was upset after he told her he would have to report statements she disclosed to him.
He also testified he looked for her in the restroom because he told her they would report her disclosure together.
“I needed someone else to help her,” Caceres testified.
The state Department of Education suspended Caceres’ teaching certificate in December 2024. It was not immediately clear if Caceres plans to appeal.
The school district said it appreciated how law enforcement and the district attorney’s office handled the case, as well as the “thought and care of everyone involved.”
“As always, our commitment is to provide a nurturing environment where every student feels safe, respected, and able to reach their full potential,” the district said. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
Prosecutors have not yet determined what sentence they will recommend to Centre County Judge Katie Oliver. Caceres is scheduled to be sentenced March 6. He remains free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 5:13 PM.