Accusations of crimes can be an uphill battle for those who are charged. This is especially true when an alleged victim is underage. A Maryland substitute teacher was recently accused of thesexual assault of a student.
The news of the claimed assault angered parents because they did not learn this information until some time later. The incident allegedly took place on Sept. and his arrest occurred on Oct. 14. However, parents were not notified of the alleged incident until Nov. 7. Authorities claim that the substitute teacher inappropriately touched a 12-year-old student from behind and then touched her legs.
The teacher was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a minor. He was released on a $50,000 bond. The substitute teacher is not the only one who has been accused of inappropriate behavior within the Montgomery County Public Schools system. Previously, a 44-year-old man employed as a contract worker faced allegations of inappropriate touching at another middle school in early October. Parents were not informed of that incident until approximately one later.
In spite of the allegations against the substitute teacher, he has the right to fair and impartial proceedings in criminal court. Just because he was charged with sexual assault on a minor does not mean that he is guilty of any criminal conduct. Maryland prosecutors will need a substantial amount of evidence against him in order to secure a conviction, and that is often a difficult burden to meet. That standard of proof is intentionally set high so that innocent people need not fear conviction for a crime they did not commit.
Source: wjla.com, "MCPS substitute teacher accused of sexually assaulting 12-year-old girl; parents furious about delayed notification", Roz Plater and Richard Reeve, Nov. 10, 2014
