School Band Volunteer Accused Of Molesting Boy

Text messages and strange behavior by a 12-year-old boy led to the arrest of 20-year-old Joe Santiago on two counts of sexual battery. The investigation began after the victim's mother noticed her son behaving strangely, detectives said.
“Strange behavior of those things that kids who've had some sort of a traumatic even will often exhibit after speaking with him and checking his phone, they certainly found that something was wrong,” said Jeff Williamson of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Detectives say Santiago text messaged the boy with details of the encounters, instructing the child not to tell anyone. Both incidents happened within the last week inside a portable classroom used by the school band.
The school district told WFTV that Santiago had been a band volunteer for about two years and he met all standard qualifications and passed a background check.
One parent we talked to did not want to appear on camera, but said students seemed to like Santiago.
“My son was in band for a while and my son has had no issues. My son likes him,” said the parent.
The school district has no knowledge of Santiago working with children outside of the school. They say on his application he specifically stated that he wanted to work with middle school-aged kids.
According to detectives, they are concerned and want to know if there are any other victims who have had contact or communication with the suspect.
Parents at the school have been informed about the arrest and have been asked to question their children about Santiago in an effort to find other potential victims.