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Former Fridley substitute teacher faces felony charges after Snapchat messages with students

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Published  February 2, 2026 8:13pm CST
Fridley
FOX 9

The Brief

    • Rey Dela Gente Jagolina faces nine total charges related to allegedly sending graphic Snapchat messages to current and former students when he was a substitute teacher at Fridley Middle School.
    • The Fridley Police Department was informed by school staff that Gente Jagolina had sent sexual images to a 14-year-old student.
    • An investigation into his conduct uncovered a total of 10 victims dating back to March 2025.

FRIDLEY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 42-year-old man is facing felony charges for allegedly using Snapchat to send nude videos and photos to students when he was a substitute teacher at Fridley Middle School.

Fridley substitute teacher charged

What we know:

Rey Dela Gente Jagolina, of Fridley, is charged with three counts each of solicitation of a minor through electronic communication, engaging in sexual communication with a minor and distributing sexual material with a minor.

According to charges filed in Anoka County, on Nov. 6, 2025, the Fridley Police Department was informed by Fridley Middle School staff that Gente Jagolina, working as a substitute teacher at the time, had sent sexual images to a 14-year-old student. He had since been placed on leave pending an investigation, during which he allegedly admitted to having been "inappropriate with students."

The victim reported to police that they received a friend request the previous spring, which led to talking occasionally that then became inappropriate as time passed.

Charges detail that several other students went on to allege also receiving photos and videos of Gente Jagolina’s genitals.

Dig deeper:

An investigation by the Anoka County Sheriff's Office found that Gente Jagolina had used Snapchat as a method of exchanging messages with students, with one photo being sent at 1:10 a.m. Another message was found to have asked, "Can I sleep over there?"

In Snapchat records, several screen names are listed as students or former students, charges allege.

Between Oct. 27 and Nov. 6, 2025, records showed 483 messages between Gente Jagolina and one victim.

In total, records showed that he had communicated with 10 students since March 1, 2025.

What's next:

State officials are now requesting a warrant for his arrest, calling him a "significant flight and public safety risk."

Charges state that Gente Jagolina might currently be in Thailand, according to information provided to investigators. 

The Source: Information provided by charges filed in Anoka County.

FridleyCrime and Public SafetyMinnesota