Texas Teacher Assistant Indicted on Improper Relationship With Student

 Posted on October 21, 2020 in Criminal Defense

A 24-year-old former educational assistant was indicted by a grand jury in Bowie County, Texas, earlier this month on two counts of an improper relationship between educator and student. The former aide was also indicted on a single count of sexual assault of a child. All three criminal charges are felonies, and they stem from interactions she allegedly had with students between November 2019 and May 2020.

Overheard Conversations

According to reports, a teacher at Texas High in the Texarkana Independent School District overheard a group of boys talking in June about how one of the boys might have gotten the instructional aide pregnant. After being confronted, the 17-year-old boy allegedly said that he had had sex with the aide but that she told him he was not her baby’s father. He also claimed that other students had sex with the assistant as well.

The teacher then called the Texarkana police, who subsequently interviewed the boy, along with two others—one of whom was 17, and the other was 16. The first boy reportedly told police that the aide had arranged to meet him at a truck stop around Thanksgiving of last year. Upon meeting him there, the aide allegedly drove the boy to her house, where they had sex. The second 17-year-old boy said his relationship with the aide began after she started tutoring him, and they also reportedly had sex at her house. The 16-year-old claimed he also had sex with the assistant at her home after a football game last November.

The aide was arrested on June 24, and she was set free on three $50,000 bonds. Earlier this month, the Bowie County grand jury determined there was enough evidence to indict the woman on two counts of an improper relationship between educator and student and one count of sexual assault of a child. In the state of Texas, the age of consent is 17, but it is illegal for an educator to engage in sexual activity with a student, regardless of age, unless they are married to one another. The sexual assault of a child charge comes from the alleged relationship with the 16-year-old student.

Potential Penalties

Under Texas law, the charge of an improper relationship between educator and student is a second-degree felony. Penalties for a conviction include a prison sentence of up to 20 years, fines of up to $10,000, and required registration as a sex offender. Sexual assault of a child under the age of 17 is also a second-degree felony, and a conviction carries the same potential penalties. All told, the aide faces up to 60 years in prison for the three charges.

Contact a Plano, Texas Crimes Against Children Attorney

If you or someone you know is facing charges related to an improper relationship between educator and student or any other offense involving a child victim, contact an experienced Collin County criminal defense lawyer. Call 214-544-0061 to schedule a free, confidential consultation at The Crowder Law Firm, P.C. today. We have successfully defended hundreds of cases involving alleged crimes against children, and we are ready to put our proven approach to work for you.

Sources:

https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texarkana/story/2020/oct/09/teachers-aide-indicted-alleged-sexual-misconduct-three-male-students/844542/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12895120/high-school-teacher-charged-sex-students-pregnant-texas/

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/pe/htm/pe.21.htm