US: High School Teacher Criminally Charged For Having Sexual Ties With Her Student

A high school teacher in the US state of New Jersey has been criminally charged after she was caught having sex with one of her students, authorities said. Jessica Sawicki, 37, who taught English teacher at Hamilton High School West, was having an inappropriate relationship with her student.

Sawicki has been charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. New Jersey Fish and Wildlife inspectors found the teacher-student duo on Sunday at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area.

“Jessica Sawicki, 37, of Point Pleasant (Ocean County) is charged with five counts of second-degree Sexual Assault and five counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on April 9.

“An investigation involving members of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police revealed that the alleged criminal conduct by Sawicki began earlier this year. On several occasions, Sawicki allegedly engaged in sexual acts with the victim at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area in Upper Freehold Township,” the Monmouth County Prosecutor said.

Sawicki had at least five instances of “unprotected” intercourse with the boy in the 6,393-acre state-owned wildlife management area since December, the New York Post reported. The report said the two had sex in the back seat of the student’s car. Sawicki was arrested and taken into custody and is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution until a detention hearing the following week.

“Sawicki was arrested without incident earlier this week and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI), where she remains incarcerated pending a first appearance and detention hearing to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court,” the US Prosecutor said.

The accused teacher had been placed on administrative leave from her $41,000-per-year employment, according to the school district. “As a result of the information gathered, the school district took immediate action to place the individual on administrative leave. Our district fully cooperated with the prosecutor’s office during their investigation and will continue to do so, as needed,” it said.