With any criminal charge being attached to someone’s name, it is always important to respond quickly with effective, aggressive legal support. But in certain cases, such swift, protective action seems especially important. One of those types of cases is when an adult is arrested for alleged child sexual assault.
Earlier this week, a 31-year-old Colorado high school employee was arrested after police reportedly found her with a 16-year-old male student from the school where she works. The female defendant, who is also a mother, now faces the following felony charges:
- Sexual assault on a child
- Sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust
- Contributing to the delinquency of a minor
The arrest affidavit claims that the instructional coach was found with the student, nude, in a parked car late last Friday night. She is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor due to the report that she provided the student alcohol that night.
It is still early in this sex crime case, and it’s important to keep a level head in regards to the situation. Colorado takes child sexual assault cases very seriously, and such a charge comes with life-altering consequences. Right now, for example, the suspect is prohibited not only from seeing the student she allegedly abused, but she cannot come into contact with anyone under the age of 18, including her own children.
In the same school where the suspect works, where she coaches teachers to become more effective educators, another employee was recently accused of a similar sex assault charge. It is possible that the prior incident could cause many people to jump to conclusions in this most recent case. It’s important to take precautionary measures to protect children, but it’s also important to ensure that the suspect gets a fair chance to defend her name, professional future and family.
The defendant is scheduled to appear in court next week. She is currently on paid administrative leave while the case is under investigation. This is sure to be big case in Colorado during the upcoming months, and we will post updates as new information becomes available.
Source
Coloradoan.com: “Mountain View instructor facing sexual assault charges says she’s sorry,” Maria Servold, 25 Jan. 2011