
Rachel Johnson 7pm - 10pm
16 January 2025, 23:46 | Updated: 16 January 2025, 23:54
An elementary school teacher from New Jersey, USA, has been accused of sexually assaulting one of her students for four years - and having his baby when he was just 13 and she was 28.
Laura Caron, 34, a fifth-grade teacher, taught her victim and his brother at Middle Township Elementary School #2.
The parents of the victim - born in 2005 - said the family had became friends with Caron over the years and soon allowed both their sons as well as their daughter to live with her for one to two nights a week.
Then, when the victim was 11, the three siblings lived permanently with Caron at her Cape May Court House residence between 2016 and 2020, sharing a bedroom.
The alleged abuse is said to have started that same year and continued until 2020, reports the MailOnline.
The criminal complaint filed by the victim's sister states that initially, the group slept in a shared room on the second floor.
However, she soon began to notice that the victim would be found in Caron’s bed the following morning.
She also reportedly told officers whenever her brother took a shower, Caron would enter the bathroom and lock the door behind her.
The victim’s other brother also told police that he had once witnessed the suspect sexually assaulting his sibling.
The young boy is said to have confessed to being the father of Caron’s five-year-old child and allegedly asked his sister to keep it a secret in text messages, reports 6ABC.
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Officials state that the child was born in 2019 when the victim was 13 years old and Caron was 28.
During a police interview, the victim confirmed he had a sexual relationship with Caron and acknowledged the child was his.
The crimes were revealed in December 2024 when the victim's father made a social media post noting the child looked very similar to both him and his son, investigators say.
Police arrested Caron at her home on Wednesday and charged her with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Prosecutors have confirmed that the Middle Township School District was notified of the investigation and is fully cooperating with law enforcement.
Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffery Sutherland stated: "This arrest underscores the unwavering commitment of our office and law enforcement partners to protect the children in our community."
He continued, "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.”
Middle Township School District Superintendent Dr. David Salvo confirmed in an emailed statement to CBS that Caron "was immediately placed on and continues to be on paid administrative leave," according to CBS News Philadelphia.
The school district is said to be cooperating with investigators, the prosecutor’s office said.