Teacher Charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact Against Two 9-Year-Old Girls
A New Castle County, Delaware special education coordinator has been arrested and charged with unlawful sexual contact with two 9-year-old girls. The 54-year-old defendant was charged after turning himself in. The defendant works as a special education coordinator for the Red Clay Consolidated School District. He is still listed on the website.
According to reports, the incidents occurred during sleepovers at his home on Skylark Road. The incidents were reported in April 2024. The inappropriate contact with the girls occurred between November 2021 and July 2023, police reported. According to the criminal complaint, the two 9-year-old girls woke up to him assaulting them on separate occasions. One victim reported that she had numerous encounters with the suspect in which she would wake up to the defendant standing over her.
The defendant told police that he would “adjust the kids’ bedding as they slept” but that he would, “Probably fail a polygraph examination if he took one, due to his nerves.”
The suspect is being held on more than $100,000 cash bail.
Analyzing the charges
The defendant has been charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact in the First Degree. There are two ways to get charged with this crime. The first:
(1) In the course of committing unlawful sexual contact in the third degree or in the course of committing unlawful sexual contact in the second degree, or during the immediate flight from the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person causes physical injury to the victim or the person displays what appears to be a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or represents by word or conduct that the person is in possession or control of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.
In other words, if the suspect causes physical injury to the victim or the suspect displays what appears to be a deadly weapon, they can be charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact in the First Degree.
The second way you can be charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact in the First Degree is:
(3) The person intentionally has sexual contact with another person who is less than 13 years of age or causes the victim to have sexual contact with the person or a third person.
Unlawful Sexual Contact in the First Degree is considered a Class D felony under Delaware law. A Class D felony has a maximum sentence of 8 years in state prison. The defendant mentioned above will likely be charged twice, once for each instance of Unlawful Sexual Contact. State police are currently reaching out to the public to determine if there are more victims.
Talk to a Wilmington, DE Criminal Defense Attorney
If you’ve been charged with a serious crime in Delaware, then the stakes are high and so are the penalties. You will want an experienced Wilmington criminal defense attorney to defend you from the charges. Call Michael W. Modica today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.
Source:
6abc.com/post/thomas-barnhart-teacher-red-clay-consolidated-school-district/15090483/
