Most stunning about James Raymond, the 26-year-old Auburn music teacher accused of groping a female student, is that his arrest appears the least of his concerns.

In court documents, Raymond reveals he’s also the subject of a federal child pornography investigation. He also professes attraction to girls, and a “little voice” erodes his preventative measures against inappropriate contact with students.

These staggering revelations have Auburn parents wondering what officials knew, when they knew it, and whether they can ensure student safety. The school is under scrutiny, because controls – like background checks – were designed to prevent this from occurring.

But in this case, the system is proving sound. The flaw is James Raymond.

Raymond’s troubles, as detailed by police affidavits, started long before his alleged groping of a 7-year-old student at Park Avenue Elementary School. He admits purchasing memberships to Web sites featuring child pornography, and was aware of his predilection toward little girls.

Yet his reputation among students and their parents was sterling. He was viewed as an excellent educator, reliable and honest, who volunteered his time and trouble to extracurricular activities. Even his alleged victim’s mother thought twice about reporting him. She said she didn’t want to hurt his career.

If Raymond were a responsible adult, given these lurid tendencies, he would have departed the proximity of his weakness. If a responsible educator, once succumbing to the purchase of access to child pornography, he should have ended his employment to protect the innocent – vulnerable students. Raymond did neither.

Instead, he allowed the spotlight of his arrest to expose them. No protocol or policy could have revealed these concealments. The school and police departments were caught unawares, just like the parents and community.

Like any stress test, however, this situation has brought other cracks to light, as well.

That federal authorities – and perhaps Auburn police – knew of serious allegations about Raymond and failed to warn school officials is startling. If Raymond was allowed to continue teaching, while a cloud of suspicion swirled around him, that would show poor judgment.

And, though well-intentioned, the school department erred in prohibiting parents from commenting and questioning publicly during Thursday’s forum. Yes, good, important information was relayed, and investigators and counselors were available to consult with parents who had questions and concerns.

In this crisis, however, it was equally important for parents to hear from other parents. Information is key to quelling fears; but so is knowing you are not alone.

We pray there isn’t another situation like this to see such mistakes repeated. Yet in the grand scheme, these errors are minor compared to the responsibility that lies on Raymond’s shoulders.

He’s the target for blame. Raymond knew his tendencies all too well, according to investigators.

Which means he was the only one who could have stopped this from happening.