Ohio Teacher's Aide Charged With Rape After She Repeatedly Had Sex With 12-Year-Old Student at Her Home
An Ohio teacher's aide has been arrested and charged with rape after authorities alleged that she sexually assaulted a middle school student.
Mandy Davis was a part-time teacher's aide at the Teays Valley West Middle School in Commercial Point. The 33-year-old woman was taken into custody on Wednesday and was charged with gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor aside from rape, People reported.
In a statement, the Teays Valley Local Schools said that their practice is not to publicly discuss the specific facts since it is a pending personnel matter involving a district employee. They confirmed that the Ohio teacher's aide has been notified that the Board of Education no longer needs her services.
The Investigation on the Ohio Teacher's Aide
The Pickaway County Sheriff's office started the investigation when it received a tip from a concerned employee at the school, citing an "odd relationship" between Mandy Davis and a minor student, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Reports said that the Ohio teacher's aide repeatedly had sex with the 12-year-old student at her home between April 26 and May 11.
It is illegal in Ohio for adults to have sexual relations with anyone under the age of 16. It is also unlawful for educators to have sex with students of any age.
South Bloomfield Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) executed a search warrant at the home of the Ohio teacher's aide to secure additional evidence. No other information was released, including what was collected at Davis' home due to the victim's age, Daily Mail reported.
Pickaway County Municipal Court said that the bond of the Ohio teacher's aide is $250,000. She would also be required to wear a GPS monitor if she is released. The suspect is set to attend another court appearance on May 27 at 1 p.m.
The school district said in a statement that they take allegations very seriously and are very committed to the safety and well-being of their students. A copy of Mandy Davis' pay rate and personnel file was not made public.
High School and Middle School Students Are Victims of Sexual Assault
High schools and middle schools are also facing challenges as students fall victim to sexual assault. According to a U.S. News report, secondary school educators are raising concerns when it comes to handling allegations that one student had assaulted another.
The report noted that survivors at times continue to face harassment and victim-blaming among peers after the accusations are made. Victims said that the harassment from peers is even worse than the assault itself.
Neena Chaudhry, senior counsel at the National Women's Law Center, said that the problem, in general, seems to be that schools are not taking the right course of action once they have noted a potential sexual assault.
Federally funded colleges are mandated to report sexual assault statistics under Clery Act. However, there is no similar process of data collection requirement for high schools.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that 30 percent of female rape victims were first raped between the ages of 11 to 17.
Meanwhile, 20 percent of girls between ages 14 and 17 have been victims of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault, according to Justice Department statistics.
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WATCH: How To Get High Schoolers To Rethink Sexual Consent And Assault (HBO) - From Vice News
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