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PENNSBURG, Pa. – A middle school guidance counselor in Pennsylvania is accused of grooming a 14-year-old student and sexually abusing the boy on multiple occasions over the summer before law enforcement authorities became involved.
Court records revealed that Kelly Ann Schutte, 35, is the counselor who is charged with institutional sexual assault and other crimes for the inappropriate relationship with the male teen that began in the fall of 2022 and continued through this summer.
Police were first tipped off to the alleged sex crimes in July when a family member of Schutte — who worked at Pennridge South Middle School — reportedly spotted them kissing inside her home, NBC10-Philadelphia reported, citing a criminal complaint.
When the student was later interviewed, he said the relative who witnessed the two kissing from outside the home, stormed into the house and demanded he leave.
The stunned boy ran out and hid behind a parked vehicle around the block and called his parents in a panic to be picked up, according to the news outlet.
The boy confessed to his parents that he was sexually involved with Schutte. His mother called police the following day, which was July 18, per the criminal complaint.
The victim told investigators that things began when he sat next to his counselor on a school bus on the way back from a field trip in fall 2022, NBC10-Philadelphia reported.
Not long after, Schutte frequently called the boy into her office and also began messaging him through Canvas, the school district’s digital platform and messaging system, court documents revealed.
As the school year concluded, their conversations transitioned to Snapchat and the budding relationship turned physical. The student told police that he and Schutte engaged in sexual contact numerous times in June and July of this year.
According to the complaint, Schutte sexually molested the boy in her own Pennsburg residence, in his Bucks County home while his parents were away, and in her automobile.
During a follow-up investigation, law enforcement personnel discovered an earing belonging to Schutte in the victim’s house as well as text messages and photos of them together on his phone.
Detectives also retrieved their message history from Canvas in addition to several handwritten notes corroborating the boy’s account of their relationship, court documents revealed.
In July, the counselor was placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. She was also prohibited from entering school district premises or having any contact with students and staff within the Pennridge School District, the New York Post reported.
Ultimately, Schutte was charged with three counts of institutional sexual assault – intercourse/sexual contact with a student, three counts of indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old and one count of corruption of minors.
According to Law&Crime, Schutte was arrested on Thursday. Following her arraignment on Friday, she posted $25,000 unsecured bail.
The school district issued a statement on Friday, which said, “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. Such behavior will NOT be tolerated.”
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Source: www.lawofficer.com