(08/19/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Allanah Benton-Wells, 42, a former teacher at Williams Elementary School in Flint, Michigan will, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, be charged today with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under the age of 13.

It is alleged that Benton-Wells had sex with the sixth-grade male student on two separate occasions around Halloween of 2007. Reportedly the boy was in her class and she was supposed to be tutoring at her home.

Benton-Wells came to the attention of authorities when the student’s mother grew suspicious after she intercepted a phone call between the her son and Benton-Wells. The boy’s mother later notified school administrators and they in turn called the police.

Reportedly, the alleged victim told a fellow student that he and Benton-Wells had sex in an upstairs bedroom at the Benton-Wells residence.

Additionally, the Flint Journal reported:

Benton-Wells’ then-husband told police the student spent the night at their Flint home. He described arriving home at 2:30 in the morning to find the student sitting on the couch without a shirt on. Another time, the student was sitting on the couch with his wife who was wearing a nightgown and no bra.

He also told police that the student called at all hours of the night. The couple divorced in January.

On Monday, Allanah Benton-Wells, through her attorney, has denied the allegations. She is expected to turn herself in to police today.

Benton-Wells was placed on paid administrative leave in November, 2007. She was fired by the school system earlier this month.

If convicted of the charges she could face up to live in prison, owing to the nature of the felony offenses against a then 12-year-old victim.

Benton-Wells is divorced and the mother of 19-month-old twins.

Update: Allanah Benton-Wells Officially Charged

Allanah Benton-Wells was arraigned earlier today on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under the age of 13.

08/22/08 - Pre-Trial Hearing Delayed

Allanah Benton-Wells was scheduled for a pre-trial hearing today however the judge and attorneys decided to move the hearing until August 29 because the defense has not obtained information from the prosecution, such as the police report on the case.

08/29/08 - Pre-Trial Hearing Delayed Again, Attorney Ousted

Flint District Judge Nathaniel C. Perry III rescheduled Allanah Benton-Wells’ pretrial hearing for next month after granting a prosecutor’s request to disqualify her attorney.

The prosecutor’s office argued her attorney, Michael B. Haley, had a conflict of interest because he accompanied Benton-Wells’ sister on an interview with Flint police about the allegations.

An appeal of the judge’s ruling is likely.

References:

Flint teacher accused of sex with student, 12, to get new attorney (08/29/08)

Pre-trail hearing for Allanah Benton-Wells pushed back a week (08/22/08)

Former Flint teacher Allanah Benton-Wells officially charged with sexual assault for allegedly having sex with sixth-grade student (08/19/08)

Elementary school sex scandal (08/19/08)

Flint teacher accused of having sex with 12-year-old student, says Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton (08/19/08)

Flint ex-teacher, 42, accused of sex with boy, 12 (08/19/08)

(5/28/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Scott Michael Riley, 52, a music teacher at Twin Lakes Elementary School, in Federal Way, Washington entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment on a charge of inappropriately touching an 11-year-old female student in his music room.

He is accused of touching the buttocks of the student at the Federal Way school on April 16 while she performed a song. Three other students allegedly were present, although the incident didn’t come to light until the girl’s mother read an entry in her daughter’s diary earlier this month.

Court records state Riley was “intimate” with a 17-year-old student while he was a 41-year-old assistant principal at a high school in Nevada. Riley married the student the next year after she graduated from Pahrump Valley High School where he worked, records show.

The couple divorced in December 2002, more than four years after Riley started working in the Federal Way School District.

Riley was placed on administrative leave from the school and is free on $50,000 bail.

Update 9/18/07:

The Federal Way School District wants to fire Scott Riley because he lied about having a sexual relationship with a student in his former district. Riley, then assistant principal at Pahrump Valley High School in Nevada, married the former student in February 1998, after she graduated in June 1997. They had two children and divorced in 2002.

12/21/07 - Guilty Plea

Scott Riley pleaded guilty last week to to fourth-degree assault for assaulting a student in the school music room.

The plea deal permits Riley to avoid both jail time and having to register as a sex offender although he will not be allowed in the presence of a minor unless he is supervised by an adult who is aware of his conviction.

08/27/08 - Riley Arrested Again

Scott Riley has been charged with first-degree child molestation on allegations that he molested a young female relative five years ago.

Reportedly Riley came to the attention of authorities again when he disclosed to his sexual deviancy treatment provider that he touched the female relative sexually while she was staying overnight five years ago.

As a result of Riley’s disclosure a new investigation was opened and in July the girl, who is now 10, told authorities how the molestation occurred, telling them that Riley touched her private area while she was in bed with him.

Although Riley was arrested on these allegations in July, he remains out of custody and is scheduled to be arraigned on September 8th.

References:

Former Federal Way teacher charged again (08/27/08)

Ex-Twin Lakes music teacher pleads guilty (12/21/07)

School district will fire Twin Lakes teacher (9/21/07)

Federal Way might fire teacher Records say educator facing charges lied about sex with student years ago (9/18/07)

Teacher was suspect previously

Federal Way music teacher pleads not guilty to touching charge

Music teacher pleads not guilty in touching case

(06/16/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Salvador Mata, 51, a third grade teacher of English as a second language at J.W. Long Elementary School in Terrell, Texas has been arrested on allegations of sexually assaulting a female student.

Mata has been initially charged one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

The sexual assault is alleged to have occurred inside the school during school hours “sometime this year” and reportedly the alleged victim is one of Mata’s students.

Mata came to the attention of police when a family member of the alleged victim called to report the allegation on Saturday. Reportedly Mata was arrested at his home on Sunday.

Mata who has taught at the school since 2000 and was selected “Teacher of the Year” in 2004 has been placed on administrative leave.

06/19/08 - More Alleged Victims, More Charges

More alleged victims have come forward and authorities have filed additional charges against Salvador Mata.

Among the most recent allegations are that Mata took four girls from gym class and took them into his classroom, locked the door and asked them to pull down their pants and underwear. It is alleged that Mata then started touching one of the girls with his genitals. When the girl cried, it is alleged that Mata moved to one of the other 9-year-old girls.

It is further alleged that at other times Mata asked one of the girls if she wanted to make love. One girl told investigators that when asked about sex, babies and puberty Mr. Mata had answered the questions and showed her his genitals and said he wanted to teach her more.

A third girl has told investigators that Mata took off her pants, laid her on the floor and got on top of her and that he had her perform oral sex on him and that he tried to have intercourse with her.

Allegedly medical exams of the girls showed signs of sexual penetration of two girls while another girl showed signs that penetration had been attempted.

Police say the investigation is still on-going and they suspect additional victims exist.

08/22/08 - Grand Jury Indictment

A Kaufman County grand jury has indicted Salvador Borja Mata on aggravated sexual assault of a child charges.

References:

Grand jury indicts Mata (08/21/08)

Terrell teacher accused of abusing additional students (06/19/08)

Teacher on Leave Following Sex Assault Arrest (06/17/08)

Terrell Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Third-Grader (06/16/08)

Terrell teacher accused of sexually assaulting student (06/16/08)

Teacher charged with sexual assault of child (06/16/08)

Teacher Accused of Sexually Assaulting Elementary Student at School (06/16/08)

(10/31/07 - Initial BBT Report)

James Raymond Jr., 26, a music teacher at Park Avenue Elementary and East Auburn Community schools in Auburn, Maine has been charged with unlawful sexual touching of a student.

Raymond reportedly came to the attention of authorities when the alleged victim reported an incident to school officials who called in police. Thus far police are not releasing information on the age or sex of the alleged victim.

Raymond who was arrested Tuesday afternoon at his home was released from the Androscoggin County Jail after posting $5,000 cash bail.

Raymond who has been a music teacher in the Auburn school system for five years has been placed on administrative leave.

Auburn police indicate that the investigation is still ongoing and that police will be interviewing other students making sure that there are no other incidents requiring investigation.

Update 11/01/07:

News media reports indicate that police alleged that Raymond told them:

He sometimes put his hand up the skirts of young girls in his class.

That he had an attraction to female students from kindergarten age to third grade

That 95 percent of the time he was satisfied to get a hug from a student. It was the remaining 5 percent of the time that posed a problem

There’s a little voice telling him to engage in that behavior. On those occasions, he tries to control himself, but he is unsuccessful some of the time.

Most incidents occurred during music class because all the girls would want to sit next to him.

He never touched the vaginal areas of the girls.

A federal agency was investigating him for his online activity involving child pornography and that he had bought memberships at child pornography Web sites.

It was further reported that the alleged victim, a 7-year-old girl first reported the alleged improper touching to her mother who was reluctant to report it to authorities and that the girl reported it to the school administration herself.

Reportedly Raymond told police he did not recall touching the girl on the day she says it happened in early October.

04/30/08 - Arrested On Bail Violation

James Raymond has been arrested and jailed upon an allegation that he approached a child at a Wal-Mart in violation of bail conditions.

It is alleged that an off-duty police detective spotted Raymond in the Wal-Mart and that he was talking to a child that is younger than 16, a violation of the bail conditions imposed upon Raymond.

08/21/08 - Guilty Verdict

An Androscoggin County Superior Court jury has found James Raymond Jr. guilty on all counts.

Raymond was found guilty on two counts of unlawful sexual touching and three counts of assault.

Testifying in his own defense on Wednesday Raymond told the jury that he lied when he told detectives that he was attracted to young girls. Raymond testified that he only confessed in order to end the interview in which he felt intimidated.

No word yet on a sentencing date.

References:

Teacher Found Guilty Of Molesting Students (08/21/08)

Jury Deliberations Continue In Music Teacher Trial (08/21/08)

Former teacher says he’s innocent (08/21/08)

Former teacher in child sex case back in jail (04/30/08)

Teacher told cop of urges for girls (11/01/07)

Teacher faces sex charge (10/31/07)

Auburn Teacher Facing Sex Charge (10/31/07)

Teacher facing unlawful sex charge (10/31/07)

(08/20/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Eric Grange, 45, a former teacher at the Montessori Community School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina has been convicted in a jury trial on charges alleging the sexual abuse of female students at the school in 2005 and 2006.

The victims were girls, ages 5 to 8-years-old.

Grange is a French citizen.

He abruptly resigned from the school in June 2006 when school officials questioned him about suspected abuse of girls.

Grange was arrested by U.S. immigration agents at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. approximately three months later when a warrant was issued for his arrest.

There was little coverage of Grange’s trial as the prosecution and defense agreed to bar the press from the Durham County Superior Court where the trial took place.

We will update this coverage as information becomes available. - webmaster

References:

Chapel Hill teacher found guilty of sex abuse (08/20/08)

Jury selection to begin in sexual abuse case (07/28/08)