A local middle school teacher is facing charges as police say she had inappropriate contact with a student.
Connellsville Area School District middle school teacher Ashley Autumn Mongell, 30, is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of children and corruption of minors.
Fayette County District Attorney District Attorney Mike Aubele announced the charges on Friday.
According to court documents, police began the investigation last Thursday after receiving a Cyber Tip about messages being sent between Mongell and a teen boy.
Police said they found messages sent on Instagram that were sexually suggestive.
Court documents show that Mongell demanded the student make sure their messages were disappearing and at one point said “No texting me for 9 years.”
The Attorney General issued a subpoena and police obtained information about the teen, who was 14. The boy told police both he and Mongell had sent nude photographs over Snapchat.
When police interviewed Mongell on Friday, they say she admitted to using the account found in the conversations, communicating with the boy she knew to be underage and said that he was in her class last year, court documents say.
Police said she also admitted that she sent the boy a fully nude photo. Investigators said that photo was found on the teen’s device.
Connellsville Area School District Superintendent Richard Evans issued the following release in response to the charges:
“This afternoon, the Connellsville Area School District was informed by the Pennsylvania State Police of criminal charges against a Connellsville Area School District teacher. Upon receiving the information, that teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave. We understand that news like this is unsettling and may raise concerns, and we want to assure our families and community that the District is taking this matter very seriously. The safety and well-being of our students is always our highest priority. The Connellsville Area School District will cooperate fully with the Pennsylvania State Police regarding this matter. Because this is both a law enforcement and personnel matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time. We appreciate the support of our community as we work to ensure a safe, secure learning environment for all students.”
Channel 11’s Rich Pierce is learning more about this case. Tune in to Channel 11 News for the latest details.
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