FRANKFORD — A former student teacher at a Sussex County elementary school pleaded not guilty today to having at least two sexual encounters with one of her students. During a brief arraignment in Newton, Assistant Prosecutor Francis Koch said Lindsay Massaro, 25, was not offered a plea bargain deal in the case because one of the charges against her --...
FRANKFORD — A former student teacher at a Sussex County elementary school pleaded not guilty today to having at least two sexual encounters with one of her students.
During a brief arraignment in Newton, Assistant Prosecutor Francis Koch said Lindsay Massaro, 25, was not offered a plea bargain deal in the case because one of the charges against her -- aggravated sexual assault -- was upgraded by a grand jury last month from second degree to first degree.
In addition to the first-degree offense, Massaro was also indicted by the grand jury on charges of second-degree sexual assault, third-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and four-degree criminal sexual contact. A first-degree crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Superior Court Judge N. Peter Conforti scheduled a status conference in the case to be held July 19.
Massaro, a former eighth-grade student teacher at Frankford Elementary School, was arrested March 30, 2009, and accused of having a sexual relationship with a student, according to her arrest affidavit. The boy was at least 13 and younger than 16.
Massaro is accused of having sexual trysts with the boy in her car in Branchville and in the bedroom of her home in Frankford in the days prior to her arrest. The affidavit states Massaro admitted having a consensual sexual relationship with the boy.
The case was brought to the attention of law enforcement by the boy’s father, who told State Police his son was having an "ongoing sexual relationship" with Massaro. She met and befriended the boy while she was student teaching there, according to her arrest affidavit.
The former student teacher from Centenary College, who was accompanied in court yesterday by several family members, did not speak during the hearing. She was released the day after her arrest on $75,000 bail with no 10 percent option.
Previous Coverage:
• Sussex student teacher in sex scandal seeks admittance into pretrial intervention program
• Sussex County student teacher Lindsay Massaro admits to sex with middle school boy
• Student teacher Lindsay Massaro accused of sex with middle school boy