On June 18, George Jaques Amorim was arrested by UTRGV police on a charge of sexual assault and indecent assault, Hidalgo County Jail records indicate.
George Amorim (Hidalgo County Jail)
Amorim is an Associate Professor of Strings and Double Bass in the School of Music at UTRGV and directs the annual ¡Viva el Bajo! South Texas Double Bass Festival, according to his bio on the university website.
University officials say Amorim has been under investigation for these allegations since 2023.
A criminal complaint, obtained by ValleyCentral, detailed the timeline of the assault which began in August of 2021 and was not reported until two years later.
The student reported that in 2021 they were touched, groped, pet and massaged over their clothing by Amorim without their consent. The next year, the assaults became gradually more obscene.
In August 2022, Amorim would forcefully remove their clothing and perform sex acts on them, despite their objection, the student stated.
In January 2023, Amorim allegedly forced the student to touch him after they said no, the complaint alleges.
George Jaques Amorim (Photo from UTRGV faculty page)
The complaint states that the sexual assaults took place inside Amorim’s office, located in the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex.
Amorim scheduled hour-long one-on-one lessons with his students twice a week, according to the complaint. The assaults took place during these private sessions.
According to the complaint, the students said they did not report the sexual assault prior to August 30, 2023, due to fear of being failed by professor Amorim.
ValleyCentral reached out to UTRGV regarding the arrest and received the following statement:
“The UTRGV Police Department has concluded its investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving Professor George Amorim,” said Patrick Gonzales, spokesperson for UTRGV. “Arrest warrants for Sexual Assault (2nd Degree Felony) and Indecent Assault (Class A Misdemeanor) were issued. Dr. Amorim, who has been on investigative leave since August 30, 2023, turned himself in at our Edinburg station Tuesday (June 18) and will be arraigned at the Edinburg Municipal Court. “The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff are of utmost importance to us. We are committed to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for our community and will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities throughout this process.”
The music professor’s charge of sexual assault is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 20 years in state prison if convicted.
Amorim was released from Hidalgo County Jail the day after his arrest. His bond was set at $16,500.
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