Northwest Indiana Discussion

Teacher's aide charged with having sex with two students

VALPARAISO | A 23-year-old Hebron woman was charged Friday with six felony counts stemming from accusations she had sex with two of her male students while working as a teacher's aide in a learning disability classroom at Hebron High School.

One of the students, who was 14 when the relationship began, told police he and Amber K. Marshall, of 410 Birch St., had "made out" and she performed oral sex on him, according to the charging information.

He said they also had sexual intercourse multiple times, along with other sexual contact.

The encounters reportedly occurred between Feb. 1, 2004, and June 1.

The second student said he too had a sexual relationship with Marshall that began when he was 15, according to court documents. The pair did not have sexual intercourse, but he said she performed oral sex on him seven or eight times.

The boy said Marshall was clear she did not want a relationship. She just wanted to be "friends with benefits," he said.

The incidents reportedly occurred between July 1, 2004, and June 1.

Marshall, who turned herself in Friday at the Porter County Jail, reportedly confirmed the sexual relationships to police.

She told police many of the sexual encounters with the younger student occurred at her house, according to court records. She said she attempted to break off the relationship at one point, knowing it was wrong and against the law.

When asked about the other student, Marshall reportedly told police that one of the sexual encounters occurred July 2004 when the two stopped at the Porter County Fair. She said she was 22 and the boy was 15 at the time.

Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek said investigators think the offenses were limited to these two students.

Polarek said Marshall was employed through the Porter County Education Interlocal, which oversees the countywide special education and vocational program services. Through the interlocal, she was assigned to work at Hebron High School.

"We're very disappointed that this happened," Superintendent George Letz said. "We hope that there won't be any psychological lasting effects on those students that were involved in the incidents."

Hebron High School Principal David Howenstine said he had no comment when asked about the case. Porter County Education Interlocal Executive Director Fred McNulty could not be reached for comment.

Marshall, whose photograph was published in a past Hebron High School yearbook as a member of its Class of 2001, was charged with three Class B felony and one Class C felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor stemming from the accusations involving the student who was 14.

She was charged with another Class B and Class C felony count involving the 15-year-old student.

Each of the Class B felonies carry a potential prison sentence of between six and 20 years, and the Class C felonies call for sentences of between two and eight years.

Bond in the case was set at $75,000, Polarek said.

This story ran on nwitimes on Saturday, June 11, 2005

NWITIMES ARTICLE


I wish I had been so lucky at 15.

Teach me baby. Older women and younger men seem to be the trend now days. 15 is a bit young but not a child. I would have been game at 15.

Had this been your 15 yr old daughter with a male teacher would you feel different?

What adolescent boy does not have teacher fantasies?