Former Rogers School District employee accused of permitting abuse of girls

File photo
File photo

BENTONVILLE -- A Lowell woman is accused of permitting child abuse after her husband was arrested in connection with sexually abusing two girls.

Minerva Cosio, 55, was arrested last week in connection with permitting child abuse, intimidating a witness and endangering the welfare of a minor. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against her.

Cosio, who worked 16 years for the Rogers School District, was released on citation.

Ashley Siwiec, a spokeswoman for the Rogers School District, said the charges against the former Tucker Elementary School office aide and her spouse aren't related to any school circumstances. She said Cosio resigned after her arrest.

Cosio is accused of arranging for one or both of the girls to stay overnight with her husband while she knew or should have known about the abuse allegations, according to court documents.

She also is accused of telling the girls she was abused as a child and remained in the home with her abuser, according to court documents.

Ralph Cosio, 57, of Lowell was arrested in November. He's charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child and sexual grooming of a child. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Lowell police started investigating after receiving a report from a girl's friend, who said she confided to her she had been sexually assaulted, according to the probable cause affidavit.

One of the girls later came to the Police Department and reported the abuse, according to the affidavit. She provided details of the abuse and identified Ralph Cosio as her abuser, according to the affidavit.

One of the girls reported the abuse ended when she was in the third grade, according to the affidavit.

Ralph Cosio was ordered not to have any contact with the 14- and 16-year-old girls. He also was ordered not to have unsupervised contact with any minors.

Minerva Cosio's arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 28 in Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren's court. Ralph Cosio's next court appearance is set for Feb. 22 in Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green's courtroom. He is being held on $200,000 bond in the Benton County Jail.

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