News Summary
A former employee of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, Anthony Caldiero, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on multiple charges of child sex crimes. The charges involved victims as young as 12 years old. Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of background checks, as Caldiero’s past was not flagged during his hiring. Following his arrest, the school district confirmed adherence to state protocols, but no changes to their background check procedures are planned. The case highlights urgent issues regarding student safety in educational settings.
Starkville, Mississippi – A former employee of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (SOCSD) has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a conviction on multiple child sex crime charges. Anthony Caldiero, also known as AJ Vega, worked for the district for nearly three years while under an indictment for these serious offenses, which involved victims as young as 12 years old.
Throughout his time at SOCSD, from October 2020 until his employment termination on June 30, 2023, Caldiero faced numerous allegations. His criminal record was not flagged during a routine background check conducted at the time of his hiring, which returned clear results. This lack of information raises concerns about the effectiveness of background checks as a safety measure for school personnel.
Caldiero’s legal troubles began in November 2021 when he was arrested by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office after accusations of child sexual abuse emerged following a forensic interview conducted by Child Protective Services. In May 2022, he was booked again after being indicted by a grand jury on additional charges related to the allegations. Eventually, in June 2023, a Webster County jury found him guilty of statutory rape, sexual battery, and touching a child for lustful purposes.
The Chief Deputy of Webster County, Andrew Banks, noted that during booking, Caldiero should have been fingerprinted, and those fingerprints were supposed to be entered into the National Criminal Information Center (NCIC) database. It remains unclear why the serious charges against Caldiero did not appear in the background check conducted by SOCSD. Banks emphasized that such charges should have been flagged and is currently investigating potential procedural errors in the booking process.
Following his arrest, SOCSD responded by confirming that they adhered to state-mandated protocols during the background check process, which originally cleared Caldiero for employment. Initially hired as an assistant wrestling coach, Caldiero transitioned to a tech support specialist role. Although the district is reviewing the incident, no modifications to their pre-employment background check protocols are being planned.
The case raises alarming questions about the safeguarding of students within the educational system. This incident is not Caldiero’s first encounter with the law concerning child abuse. Reports indicate he faced charges related to another incident involving a different minor several years prior to his employment with SOCSD.
The alarming nature of his crimes highlights the urgent need for effective safety protocols and thorough background checks for those working with children. Schools often rely on these checks to ensure the safety of students, making it imperative that all information is accurately reported and processed. Instances where individuals with pending serious charges continue to work in schools create significant risks for students and staff alike.
As the investigation into the procedural oversight continues, stakeholders in the education system are urged to review and potentially strengthen policies related to the hiring and monitoring of school employees to prevent similar cases in the future.
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Additional Resources
- The Commercial Dispatch
- Wikipedia: Child Sex Abuse
- WTVA
- Google Search: Starkville Mississippi school background checks
- WCBI
- Google Scholar: Child Protection Laws
- The Commercial Dispatch
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Child Safety in Schools
- WCBI
- Google News: Starkville Child Sex Crime
Author: STAFF HERE STARKVILLE WRITER
The STARKVILLE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREstarkville.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Starkville, Oktibbeha County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Cotton District Arts Festival, Bulldog Bash, and Mississippi State University homecoming celebrations. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Starkville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mississippi State University Extension Service, plus leading businesses in education and agriculture that power the local economy such as Mississippi State University and Starkville Manufacturing. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Mississippi's dynamic landscape.
