Public School Teacher Arrested in New Jersey
A Korean male teacher in his 30s, who worked at a public school in New Jersey, United States, has been arrested and brought to trial on charges of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old female student in the classroom.
According to local media outlets such as New Jersey 101.5 on December 11 (local time), the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey indicted Mr. A, who was a fourth-grade science teacher at Paterson Public School, on December 3 for second-degree sexual assault and child welfare violations.
Investigators launched an inquiry after receiving a report on October 22 that Mr. A had sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl enrolled at the school. According to the indictment, Mr. A allegedly had another student take a test at the front of the classroom and then lured the victim to the back of the classroom at the time of the incident.
Mr. A told the victim, "There is a treasure box containing two lollipops, one lemon-flavored and one grape-flavored," describing them as "Korean candy." He then took the student behind a pre-installed test partition in the classroom, blindfolded her with a piece of cloth, and asked her to guess the flavors of the candy.
However, as the blindfold slipped, the victim witnessed a specific act by Mr. A. Shocked, she refused the candy offered by Mr. A, left the classroom, and cried. Fellow teachers testified that "she cried so much that it was impossible to comfort her."
Mr. A, who holds Korean citizenship and is reportedly married, had been under investigation on leave since the incident and was dismissed from the school on the day of his indictment. The school stated, "We take all allegations related to the safety and welfare of our students extremely seriously."
Local media reported that if Mr. A is found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of at least five years and up to ten years.
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