An elementary school teacher in the United States has been arrested for allegedly having a child with one of her former students, 13, who lived with her for several years. According to the New York Post, Laura Caron, a fifth-grade teacher at a New Jersey elementary school, allegedly had an “inappropriate sexual relationship” with the student when they lived together in her home between 2016 and 2020, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.
Caron first met her victim when she taught him and his brother in the fifth grade. The cops said that the boy, born in 2005, and his family remained close to her, and the boy’s parents even allowed their sons and daughter to spend some nights at Caron’s home before the children stayed there permanently in 2016 for some time, the outlet reported.
During that time, Caron allegedly had “inappropriate sexual relations” with her former student and later became pregnant. She gave birth to the child in 2019, the prosecutor’s office said, adding that when their child was born, the alleged victim was 13 years old while Caron was 28, per People.
Investigators became aware of the alleged sexual abuse after the boy’s father pointed out similarities between Caron’s child, himself and his son after seeing a Facebook post in December. The boy’s sister also told prosecutors that she remembered going to sleep with her brother in the same room, but woke up to find him sleeping in Caron’s bed, the outlet reported. She claimed that Caron began sleeping with her brother when he was 11 years old.
The teen victim, who is now between 19 and 20 years old, revealed to investigators the sexual relationship with Caron and that he fathered his former teacher’s child. The two remained in contact until his father pointed out the similarities in a Facebook post.
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Caron was arrested on Wednesday and she faces charges of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. She is being held at the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending her initial court appearance.
“This arrest underscores the unwavering commitment of our office and law enforcement partners to protect the children in our community,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffery Sutherland said, per the Post.
“Teachers hold a position of great trust, and the allegations in this case represent a deeply troubling breach of that trust. We will work tirelessly to ensure justice is served and to support the victim and their family throughout this process,” he added.
For now, the Middle Township School District has placed Caron on paid administrative leave. The school is cooperating with the investigation.