Former local school teacher facing charges after accused inappropriate relationship with student
https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/l...cle_41800e6c-d2e4-11ec-86b7-2f8b2adf61aa.html
Husband tells Pennsylvania school officials after learning of wife’s sexual involvement with student, reports say
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Former local school teacher facing charges after accused inappropriate relationship with student
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — A former choir teacher of a local high school is facing criminal charges after court documents say she had an inappropriate relationship with a student.
A district judge on Friday issued a warrant for the arrest of Olivia Lois Ortz, 26, of Hermitage, who is accused of having an inappropriate physical romantic relationship with a 17-year-old female student while Ortz was the Wilmington High School choral teacher.
New Wilmington Borough police on Friday charged Ortz with two counts of intercourse/sexual contact with a school student, and one count each of unlawful contact with a minor for sexual offenses and criminal use of a communication facility, all felony-level charges.
WTAE Channel 4 reports was the music director at Wilmington Area High School. In April, her husband reportedly found messages on an iPad between Ortz and the student. The husband reported the relationship to the school principal, and both then contacted authorities, reports say.
WFMJ Channel 21 reports Ortz’s husband also works for the school district and is required under state law to report “any sexual exploitation, abuse, or misconduct.”
Ortz's husband, who works with the district's theater productions, reported the situation to the high school principal after finding evidence of the alleged relationship, police said.
The teen told authorities she visited Ortz’s home several times and continued to communicate with her after they were aware Ortz was being investigated, CBS News reports.
Ortz and the girl had established a code word to warn each other in case something went wrong or “something bad” happened with either of them, the complaint states.
The teen later admitted to the police she had been to the Ortz’s home several times when her husband was not home, had stayed overnight and that she and Olivia Ortz had physical romantic encounters, the report state.
The police conducted a follow-up interview with the teen and her parents on Monday, and the girl admitted the two continued to communicate with each other after search warrants had been served on Ortz’s home on May 5. The girl told police they continued to communicate because they are in love and needed to support each other, the document states.
The student's father eventually took the girl's cell phone, iPad and laptop, investigators said.
The New Castle News reports Ortz had replaced a music director who currently is awaiting trial on sexual-assault-related charges. Jonathan Priano, 37, also is accused of misconduct involving students at the school, the News reports.
Allegations are that he had an affinity for tickling the feet of his female students and having close, personal relationships with them.
He taught band and music at the high school. Priano also resigned and is facing more than 20 counts of institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors and endangerment, the New Castle News reports
According to a press release from the New Wilmington Police Department, an investigation into 26-year-old Olivia Lois Ortz began after the principal of the Wilmington Area High School received a call from Ortz’s husband, reporting the alleged relationship. As a mandated reporter, the principal reported the allegation to the police.
Police say they held interviews with the 17-year-old student involved in the incident, who told officers that they considered Ortz to be a safe adult whom they trusted and confided in. The student also said the relationship allegedly turned into a romantic one that resulted in sexual activity
Documents say that the student allegedly came to Ortz’s residence after she invited them over while her husband was away on a Florida trip. Officers also say that the student returned to the house at Ortz’s invitation on multiple occasions to comfort her after her husband had discovered their secret relationship.
Officers served a search warrant on May 5 and confiscated Ortz’s cell phone and iPad. They believe that the student and teacher began communicating over Spotify after the confiscation and that code words were established to indicate if the continued communication had been discovered. Over 100 messages were sent over Spotify from May 10-11 until the student’s father confiscated their cellphone.
Ortz surrendered to police on May 16 and was committed to the Lawrence County Jail. Her bond was set at $150,000. Her preliminary hearing is set for May 25.
Ortz was at large throughout the weekend and sang in the Shenango Valley Chorale’s 50th anniversary concert Sunday in downtown Sharon before turning herself in to authorities Monday afternoon. She is the secretary of the chorale organization.
https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/l...cle_41800e6c-d2e4-11ec-86b7-2f8b2adf61aa.html
Husband tells Pennsylvania school officials after learning of wife’s sexual involvement with student, reports say
Former local school teacher facing charges after accused inappropriate relationship with student
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — A former choir teacher of a local high school is facing criminal charges after court documents say she had an inappropriate relationship with a student.
A district judge on Friday issued a warrant for the arrest of Olivia Lois Ortz, 26, of Hermitage, who is accused of having an inappropriate physical romantic relationship with a 17-year-old female student while Ortz was the Wilmington High School choral teacher.
New Wilmington Borough police on Friday charged Ortz with two counts of intercourse/sexual contact with a school student, and one count each of unlawful contact with a minor for sexual offenses and criminal use of a communication facility, all felony-level charges.
WTAE Channel 4 reports was the music director at Wilmington Area High School. In April, her husband reportedly found messages on an iPad between Ortz and the student. The husband reported the relationship to the school principal, and both then contacted authorities, reports say.
WFMJ Channel 21 reports Ortz’s husband also works for the school district and is required under state law to report “any sexual exploitation, abuse, or misconduct.”
Ortz's husband, who works with the district's theater productions, reported the situation to the high school principal after finding evidence of the alleged relationship, police said.
The teen told authorities she visited Ortz’s home several times and continued to communicate with her after they were aware Ortz was being investigated, CBS News reports.
Ortz and the girl had established a code word to warn each other in case something went wrong or “something bad” happened with either of them, the complaint states.
The teen later admitted to the police she had been to the Ortz’s home several times when her husband was not home, had stayed overnight and that she and Olivia Ortz had physical romantic encounters, the report state.
The police conducted a follow-up interview with the teen and her parents on Monday, and the girl admitted the two continued to communicate with each other after search warrants had been served on Ortz’s home on May 5. The girl told police they continued to communicate because they are in love and needed to support each other, the document states.
The student's father eventually took the girl's cell phone, iPad and laptop, investigators said.
The New Castle News reports Ortz had replaced a music director who currently is awaiting trial on sexual-assault-related charges. Jonathan Priano, 37, also is accused of misconduct involving students at the school, the News reports.
Allegations are that he had an affinity for tickling the feet of his female students and having close, personal relationships with them.
He taught band and music at the high school. Priano also resigned and is facing more than 20 counts of institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors and endangerment, the New Castle News reports
According to a press release from the New Wilmington Police Department, an investigation into 26-year-old Olivia Lois Ortz began after the principal of the Wilmington Area High School received a call from Ortz’s husband, reporting the alleged relationship. As a mandated reporter, the principal reported the allegation to the police.
Police say they held interviews with the 17-year-old student involved in the incident, who told officers that they considered Ortz to be a safe adult whom they trusted and confided in. The student also said the relationship allegedly turned into a romantic one that resulted in sexual activity
Documents say that the student allegedly came to Ortz’s residence after she invited them over while her husband was away on a Florida trip. Officers also say that the student returned to the house at Ortz’s invitation on multiple occasions to comfort her after her husband had discovered their secret relationship.
Officers served a search warrant on May 5 and confiscated Ortz’s cell phone and iPad. They believe that the student and teacher began communicating over Spotify after the confiscation and that code words were established to indicate if the continued communication had been discovered. Over 100 messages were sent over Spotify from May 10-11 until the student’s father confiscated their cellphone.
Ortz surrendered to police on May 16 and was committed to the Lawrence County Jail. Her bond was set at $150,000. Her preliminary hearing is set for May 25.
Ortz was at large throughout the weekend and sang in the Shenango Valley Chorale’s 50th anniversary concert Sunday in downtown Sharon before turning herself in to authorities Monday afternoon. She is the secretary of the chorale organization.
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