Posted on 01/08/2008 12:33:20 PM PST by redrunner
MOON TWP. — A Moon Area High School physical education teacher and girls volleyball coach who has admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old male Moon Township freshman could face additional charges, Moon Police Chief Leo McCarthy said Monday.
Beth Ann Chester, 26, of 2034 Swallow Hill Road, Scott Township, already is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal use of a communication facility, sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors and criminal solicitation. Charges were filed Friday, and she is being held in the Allegheny County Jail on $50,000 bond.
McCarthy said police will consult with Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Laura Ritka about filing additional charges, including felony statutory sexual assault based on the married teacher’s admission of having sex with the boy in a parked vehicle in the high school parking lot after a school event.
The boy, who is not being identified because of the nature of the charges, has told police he fell in love with Chester during a three-month relationship, which involved sexual text messages, but he has denied they had any physical contact other than a hug on the last day of school before winter break.
Chester, however, said she had intercourse with the boy, McCarthy said.
“She admitted to us quite graphically what happened,” McCarthy said. “Perhaps he wanted to protect her. We’re dealing with a 14-year-old. This is typical of someone who’s a victim. He’s in love with this person and she’s in jail now and losing her job.”
Police said Chester, who has been with the district for more than two years, submitted a letter of resignation dated Dec. 27 to high school Principal Michael Hauser. But because the school board has not met yet to accept the resignation, Chester remains on the district payroll.
District solicitor Jack Cambest said the board is awaiting the results of Chester’s preliminary hearing before taking any action. The hearing is scheduled for today.
After the hearing, depending on whether Chester pleads guilty, waives the charges to court or has the charges held over to court, the school board could decide to take disciplinary action, dismiss her or accept her resignation.
The board’s policy committee is scheduled to meet at noon Monday, but is not expected to make a decision on Chester’s standing with the district, Cambest said. The board’s next meeting is set for 7 p.m. Monday at the middle school auditorium.
Cambest said the district met with its professional staff and held an assembly for high school students Monday to discuss procedures regarding teacher-student relationships.
He said the district plans to meet with middle school students as well and to offer counseling if necessary.
According to WPXI-TV (Channel 11), McCarthy said the department is investigating one or two other students who may have exchanged text messages with Chester, though it is unclear whether they also had relations with her. As of Monday afternoon, Cambest said the district was unaware of any other students who might have had any inappropriate relationships with Chester.
In her resignation letter, Chester said she was resigning for personal reasons, but a fellow teacher, April Hurd, subsequently told Hauser that Chester resigned because of some text messages she had sent to a ninth-grade student, according to court records.
Hurd also told Hauser that the boy’s parents had found sexual messages and naked photos of Chester on their son’s cell phone on Dec. 26 and met with Chester the same day in Robinson Township, according to court documents.
The parents told Chester they would not seek criminal charges if she resigned, and Chester tendered her resignation the next day.
Hauser called police, who spoke with Hurd and the boy. Officials could not say whether he was in Chester’s class or met her some other way. Police said the boy told them Chester got his cell phone number from one of her volleyball players and text-messaged him the score of a football game in late October.
He said the two subsequently had several conversations in school in which she complained about problems with her husband, Jim, who is head baseball coach at Penn State-Greater Allegheny in McKeesport, and talked about her childhood.
Guilty...
Teacher having sex, reported in the “Beaver” times? Can’t make this stuff up.
She lives on Swallow Hill Road...
Double guilty and throw away the key. Yuk! What was that kid thinking??? Is that the only teacher in the school??? lol. Just kidding.
Two thoughts:
1. Guilty as charged.
2. Add another one to the list of edu-based predators.
“Moon Area”? “Beaver County”? Hark, I hear Banjos.
We had a similiar situation in my highschool back in the 1970’s. It was never reported, just laughed about back then in the lockerroom. 3 teachers were known to be having sex with various students, two straight, one gay.
All three were female teachers.
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Is a Moon teacher different than an Earth teacher?
I think she’d be not guilty if she could freshen up a bit.
MOON TWP. — A Moon Area High School
Moon Area! Shouldn’t this say in a moon area.
Beth Ann Chester, 26, of 2034 Swallow Hill Road
Swallow Hill Road! Too Funny to be made up.
Hurd also told Hauser that the boy’s parents had found sexual messages and naked photos of Chester on their son’s cell phone.
Chester the female molester. Ha Ha.
So it appears “Chester the Molester” isn’t just a fictional comic character in Hustler magazine!
The jokes write themselves.....
For some reason, I instantly thought of the Mooninites...
Frylock: Hey, guys, what’s up?
Ignignokt: Hey yourself.
Err: Welcome to the rock!
Frylock: Whatch’yall doin’?
Ignignokt: Well I wonder who wants to know?
Frylock: Look, I know we’ve had a lot of differences in the past, but—
Ignignokt: But what? I’ve hacked into your brain. You’re throwing a party and no one’s showing up.
Frylock: No, but umm, how did you know?
Ignignokt: Sadness surrounds us.
Err: Sadness is for poor people!
Ignignokt: We might be able to swing by, but we can’t promise anything. On the moon our weekends are so far advanced they encompass the entire week. Jobs have been phased out.
Err: We get checks from the government, and we spend it on beer! Mexican beer!
Inignot: That’s the cheapest of all beers.
I'm gonna lose it if the boy's last name is Hill.
“Beaver” County.
lol
EXACTLY!
It's not fair all these FReepers saying she's guilty, given that we've only seen bad photos thus far. I vote innocent, even without arrival of any new evidence.
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