Norristown, Pennsylvania, teacher arrested for attempted institutional sexual assault, officials say
A middle school teacher in Norristown, Montgomery County, was arrested after information from a resource officer revealed a teacher's inappropriate contact with a student, District Attorney Kevin Steele announced Wednesday.
John Richards, 57, of Newtown Square, faces charges of attempted institutional sexual assault, attempted solicitation for institutional sexual assault and unlawful contact with a minor — sexual offense, as well as corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child and attempted indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old, Steele said in the release.
An investigation revealed that Richards, an 8th-grade teacher at Blockson Middle School, called a 13-year-old girl to his desk at the back of the classroom to show her a text message on his cellphone, which the DA said was hidden from the rest of the class by his open laptop.
A Norristown Police detective responded on Monday to Blockson after receiving information from a school resource officer and the principal about a teacher's inappropriate contact with a student, Steele said.
"The message said that he wanted to kiss her two times during an upcoming field trip that Richards was chaperoning," the release said. "Further, the message said, 'Let me know yes or no before he [sic] have to get off the bus...'"
When the girl got back to her desk, she immediately contacted her dad, the principal and the school resource office to report the incident, according to Steele.
"Terrible. I'm glad that little girl reported it before something tragic happened that [could've] scarred her for life," said Jean Marie, who lives near the school.
Richards' cellphone was reviewed by Norristown police and they found a second text to the girl that said: "That came out all wrong. I'm sorry for demanding anything. I have no right. When I see you my heart skips a beat. When you are around I find myself staring without meaning to. I wonder what your lips taste like and I hope to God there's a chance for me to find out. I don't know what else to say besides I think you're amazing," the release said.
Richards turned himself in Wednesday with a cash bail of $10,000. He was ordered no contact with the victim or minors.
Richards has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday, March 27.
The 13-year-old student also told police she experienced other weird encounters with Richards, including receiving strange looks and a Christmas gift that he delivered to her home.
Christopher T. Dormer, the Norristown Area School District superintendent, said in a letter to the community Tuesday that it cannot share any specific information because of privacy laws but the district investigates reports of inappropriate behavior to law enforcement and cooperates with any investigations.
"The district immediately places any employees under investigation on administrative leave to ensure the safety of our students," Dormer said.
