ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A former principal at a St. Louis County middle school is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond for numerous sex crimes involving students.

According to the St. Louis County Police Department’s probable cause statement, Cedric Gerald, 48, was working as the principal at Westview Middle School since 2023. Four victims, all of them students, told police Gerald had inappropriate contact or engaged in appropriate behavior with them.

The victims had inappropriate FaceTime, text messages, and video calls with Gerald in exchange for payment, police said. Gerald also engaged in appropriate sex acts with the students on school grounds.

Gerald was placed on administrative leave during the investigation and never returned to the school. During an interview with detectives, police said Gerald admitted to several of the crimes.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Gerald with second-degree sexual trafficking of a child under 18 years of age, sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, attempted statutory sodomy – person less than 14 years of age, sexual misconduct involving a child under 15, first-degree harassment, sexual contact with a student, and two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy.

Online records do not show when Gerald will appear in court.

The county police and prosecuting attorney’s office will hold a joint news conference Thursday afternoon to discuss the investigation.

The school district is cooperating with the investigation. Detectives with county’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons Unit suspect there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 314-615-5400.

After the announcement of charges, the Riverview Garden School District issued the following statement:

On May 14, 2025, the District received notice that Dr. Cedric Gerald was charged with committing serious offenses, at least some of which involve District students. Dr. Gerald is currently in the custody of law enforcement authorities and has resigned from his position with the District. When the District became aware of the initial allegations, the District promptly notified Children’s Division and law enforcement. Dr. Gerald was placed on administrative leave and never returned to District property. The District has actively been working with Children’s Division and law enforcement regarding the incident. The District wants to acknowledge the bravery of our students and staff members who came forward with information regarding this matter.

Given the sensitive nature of this situation, we cannot comment in detail about the allegations as personally identifiable student information is confidential under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and District policy.

Our Board of Education’s policies set forth high standards of expected staff conduct. All employees also participate in annual training regarding appropriate conduct towards students, including recognizing and maintaining professional boundaries.

The District conducts thorough background checks on all new employees, which includes a Missouri Highway Patrol and FBI criminal background check. Pursuant to the restrictions placed on the District when receiving criminal background checks, we cannot release information regarding any particular background check received. The District is also enrolled in the Missouri Rap Back program operated by the Missouri Highway Patrol, which provides automatic notifications to the District if an employee is arrested for a criminal offense in Missouri.

At all times, our District’s top and most important priority is to provide the best education possible for our students in a safe and secure environment. Our District is acting, and will continue to act, in accordance with its policies to address this matter and to maintain the safe educational environment that our community expects. We appreciate the patience of our school community as we move through this difficult situation. To the extent District families or students need additional support during this time, the District is providing access to additional counselors and social workers on site at Westview Middle School through the remainder of the school year.

Finally, should any members of our community have specific concerns about Dr. Gerald’s conduct with their children, they should contact the Superintendent at 314-869-2505, Tammy Vega from Children’s Division at 314-605-0618, or Detective Belcher of the St. Louis County Police Department at 314-615-5400.

Riverview Garden School District