CLAYTON, Mo. – Cedric Gerald’s bond will stay at $1 million cash-only after a bond reduction hearing on Thursday.
“Mr. Gerald is facing some extremely serious charges. It’s our position that he’s a danger to the community as well as a flight risk,” St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith said.
Last week, Gerald was charged with nine felonies, including sexual trafficking of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, and statutory sodomy. He’s accused of committing crimes against four students during his time as principal at Lakeview Middle School in north St. Louis County.
Attorney Grant Boyd says currently, he is preparing a civil lawsuit for three of the victims, but he says he knows there are more out there.
“It’s disgusting. It’s sad. It’s depressing and it’s heartbreaking and I don’t know when it’s going to stop, but I sure as hell want it to,” Boyd said.
Boyd joined assistant prosecutor John Schlesinger on Thursday, asking the judge to uphold the $1 million bond. Schlesinger told the judge investigators are still interviewing new people as tips continue to come in. He also argued Gerald has little ties to St. Louis with family living out of state.
“While this case was being investigated, the defendant did travel to Texas, so I raised that concern with the court today,” Schlesinger said.
Gerald appeared in court without an attorney but says he has applied for a public defender. He said he has no other active cases against him. He has worked in multiple school districts over the past decade. Before moving to Missouri, he worked at schools in North Carolina. Boyd says it is time to discuss new ways to screen our educators.
“When are our kids going to be important enough to do that and stop doing the bare minimum? That’s what’s really frustrating, and I’m getting tired of answering these questions,” he said. “I’m getting tired of being here. I’m getting tired of going to bond hearings because more kids in our community are getting victimized. This isn’t just one thing that goes away a couple days from now for these kids. It’s a lifetime brand.
The judge sided with the prosecution and kept the bond in place. Gerald has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June.