Former Manatee elementary school employee sentenced after molesting students
A former Abel Elementary School instructional aide will spend years in prison, resolving a child molestation case that also led to lawsuits against the Manatee County School District.
Angel Wilfredo Rodriguez-Mercado, 69, entered no contest pleas to four counts of attempted lewd or lascivious molestation involving children younger than 12. Manatee County Circuit Judge Teri K. Dees sentenced him to 17 years in prison with credit for more than 2 years already served in jail, according to court records.
Rodriguez-Mercado also must serve two years of sex offender probation following his release, register as a sexual offender and comply with other sex offender requirements, court records show.
An attorney representing Rodriguez-Mercado did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Ex-school employee sentenced in molestation case
The case stemmed from allegations that Rodriguez-Mercado sexually abused multiple students while working as an instructional aide and English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher at Florine J. Abel Elementary School.
Investigators said Rodriguez-Mercado cultivated a grandfather-like relationship with students, who referred to him as “Grandpa,” “Mr. A” and “Abuelo.” According to arrest reports, he encouraged some children to call him “daddy” or “abuelo,” gave students candy and instructed them to keep the contact secret.
Sheriff’s office investigators identified at least four victims, most of whom were 7 or 8 years old at the time of the abuse. Detectives said Rodriguez-Mercado touched students inappropriately while they sat on his lap and massaged their backs, stomachs and buttocks.
In one instance, investigators said Rodriguez-Mercado threatened a child that, "If you tell the teacher, it’s gonna get worse for you.”
According to investigators, Rodriguez-Mercado admitted during an interview that he had molested at least one student and acknowledged the abuse occurred “a couple of times.”
The criminal case also led to scrutiny of how school district officials handled complaints about Rodriguez-Mercado before his arrest.
Lawsuits allege ignored warnings
In February, the School Board of Manatee County approved an undisclosed settlement in a lawsuit filed on behalf of two former Abel Elementary students and their mother, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
The lawsuit alleged school administrators ignored warning signs and failed to investigate reports that Rodriguez-Mercado was placing students on his lap and touching them inappropriately.
The lawsuit also claimed former Abel Elementary Principal Samantha Webb and former Assistant Principal Rebecca Britto knew about concerns regarding Rodriguez-Mercado’s interactions with students but failed to take action.
The lawsuit alleged Webb was notified in April 2023 that Rodriguez-Mercado had placed another student on his lap but failed to initiate a formal investigation. According to the complaint, Webb later characterized his behavior toward students as grandfatherly affection.
Attorney Krisel McSweeney, who represented the family in the civil case, previously told the Bradenton Herald that “nothing was done” after the allegations were brought forward and that the abuse continued.
The school board approved the settlement as part of its consent agenda, which passed unanimously, the Bradenton Herald previously reported. District officials declined to comment on the resolution at the time. The settlement amount was not disclosed.
Rodriguez-Mercado’s case also became part of a Bradenton Herald and Suncoast Searchlight investigation that found instances in which school district officials failed to properly vet or oversee employees who later abused children.
Rodriguez-Mercado was originally arrested in 2023 and faced four counts of lewd or lascivious molestation, a life felony under Florida law. By entering no contest pleas to lesser included offenses of attempted lewd or lascivious molestation, he avoided a jury trial that had been scheduled for this year.
This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
