Montgomery Co. Third Grade Teacher Facing Sexual Abuse Charges
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. (WJZ)—Police in Montgomery County have arrested an elementary school teacher they say sexually abused two third graders.
The investigation began back on August 2014 and continued through February 2016.
Police say 49-year-old John Vigna, a third grade teacher at Cloverly Elementary School, is charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor and five counts of third-degree sexual offense.
According to investigators, sometime in August 2014, Vigna had on four or five occasions held an 11-year-old girl, on his lap, holding her hips and moving her back and forth on his lap while holding her close to him. When she tried to leave, he resisted letting her get down.
Police also learned that the 11-year-old had been inappropriately touched on the buttocks several times in the classroom while other students were engaged in activities that prevented them from noticing the contact.
"The victim sometimes hugged the teacher goodbye and he would use that opportunity to make that further inappropriate contact," authorities said in a news release.
During an incident in February of 2016, the victim's friend, also an 11-year-old, walked into the classroom and both girls hugged the teacher goodbye.
During the interaction Vigna allegedly made the same inappropriate contact, rubbing the buttocks, with each girl, police said.
The second victim later reported the incident to her parents.
It's still unknown at this time if Vigna victimized any additional students.
Detectives are requesting that parents of students who had Vigna as a teacher, talk to their children about their interactions with him and contact SVID detectives at 240-773-5400 if they believe their child was victimized.
The teacher has been placed on administrative leave.
