A Pennsylvania high school counselor allegedly groomed a 14-year-old student and sexually abused him on multiple occasions over the summer before police intervened.
School counselor Kelly Ann Schutte, 35, was charged with institutional sexual assault and other crimes for the inappropriate relationship with the boy that began in the fall of 2022 and continued through the summer, according to court records and reports.
Officers were first alerted to the alleged abuse in July when a member of Schutte’s family, who worked at Pennridge South High School, allegedly saw them kissing inside her home, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10-Philadelphia.
The family member, who witnessed the alleged kiss from outside, reportedly burst into the house and demanded that the teen leave, the student said.
The frightened teen ran and hid behind a vehicle parked around the block and called his parents in a panic to pick him up, the local station reported.
The boy then told his parents that he was in a romantic and sexual relationship with Schutte and his mother called police the next day, July 18, according to the complaint.
Schutte allegedly groomed the boy and sexually abused him repeatedly over the summer. Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office
The high school student told investigators that he had sat next to his counselor on a school bus while returning from a school trip in the fall of 2022.
After that, Schutte frequently called him into his office, often during class time, and began sending messages through Canvas, the school district’s digital platform and messaging system, according to the document.
Once the school year ended, their conversations moved to Snapchat and their relationship became physical; The student told police that he and Schutte had sexual contact numerous times in June and July of this year.
Schutte allegedly assaulted the boy in his own home in Pennsburg, at his Bucks County home, while his parents were away and in their car, according to the complaint.
Investigators found the counselor’s earring in the student’s home and discovered messages between them and photos of them together on his phone.
They also obtained his Canvas message history, as well as handwritten notes confirming the boy’s account of their relationship, the document states.
Schutte was charged with three counts of institutional sexual assault: sexual intercourse/sexual contact with a student, three counts of indecent assault on a person under 16 years of age and one count of corruption of minors.
She was arraigned Friday and posted $25,000 unsecured bail, according to NBC10.
The counselor was placed on administrative leave in July pending the results of her case and has been prohibited from entering school district facilities or having any contact with students and staff within the Pennridge School District.
“While we refrain from making premature judgments about the actions of the staff member facing prosecution, it is crucial to reiterate the district’s stance against any inappropriate contact between a Pennridge School District employee and a student,” the district said in a statement. announced on Friday. “Such behavior will NOT be tolerated.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn