NJ elementary teacher accused of sexually abusing student, having his child when he was 13 indicted
A New Jersey elementary school teacher was indicted for allegedly abusing a student over the course of several years, while it is also being reported that she gave birth to the boy's child.
Laura Caron, 34, a former fifth-grade teacher at Middle Township Elementary School, is accused of engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship with the student who had been residing in her home, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said.
Advertisement
The abuse allegedly started when the boy was 11 in 2016 and carried on for four years until 2020 when he was 15.
During this time period, prosecutors said, Caron was employed as a fifth-grade teacher at the Middle Township Elementary School.
Police began their investigation last year after receiving a tip that the victim's father had made a post on Facebook claiming that Caron's 5-year-old child looked like his son, Fox 29 reported, citing court documents.
The outlet reported that Caron had taught the victim and at least one of his siblings.
Advertisement
The boy's family later became friends with Caron and at some point, the victim and his siblings began staying with Caron once or twice a week, before they began living with Caron permanently from 2016 to 2020, the outlet reported.
3 Laura Caron was charged with aggravated sexual assault.
Cape May County Correctional Center
Court documents also allege that the victim confirmed to police that he was in a sexual relationship with Caron and that he was the father of her young child.
The child was born when the victim was 13 years old.
Advertisement
A friend of Caron's told The New York Post that the accused threw a baby shower for the child and told friends that the father was 'out of the picture.'
3 Caron appears in court after her arrest in January 2025.
Court TV
Caron was arrested in January, with the grand jury's indictment coming down last week.
She is now charged with aggravated sexual assault, which carries a penalty of 10 to 20 years in prison, in addition to sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, which each carry potential penalties of five to 10 years, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland announced.
Advertisement
The prosecutor's office did not mention anything about the child in its press releases.
3 Caron is a former fifth-grade teacher at Middle Township Elementary School.
Facebook/Middle Township Elementary #2
'These allegations are deeply disturbing, particularly given the position of trust the defendant held in relation to the victim,' Sutherland said.
'Our office remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who violate that trust,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Two more men arrested after planes at RAF base vandalised 'by Palestine Action'
Two more men have been arrested after two planes at an RAF base were vandalised in an action claimed by soon-to-be banned campaign group Palestine Action. Counter Terrorism Policing South East said the men, aged 22 and 24 and both from London, were arrested on Saturday afternoon on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE READ MORE: M&S issues compensation update to customers after cyber attack as retailer says 'sorry' READ MORE: Traffic stopped on M6 as vehicle goes up in flames On Thursday, police said a woman, aged 29 of no fixed address, and two men, aged 36 and 24 from London, had been taken into police custody after the incident at RAF Brize Norton on June 20. A 41-year-old woman, of no fixed address, was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, they previously said. For the latest stories and breaking news visit Get the latest headlines, features and analysis that matter to you by signing up to our various Manchester Evening News newsletters here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to stay up to date with the us on X @mennewsdesk for all the latest stories and updates on breaking incidents from across the region and beyond, as well as on our Facebook page you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our newsdesk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it.
New York Post
44 minutes ago
- New York Post
Funeral held for Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and husband after fatal home shooting
Slain Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were laid to rest Saturday — weeks after they were killed in what authorities allege was a politically motivated shooting spree. The private ceremony took place at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and drew hundreds of mourners, including former President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Tim Walz and dozens of state lawmakers. More than 1,900 people tuned in to the livestream. 'Melissa Hortman will be remembered as the most consequential Speaker in Minnesota history,' Walz said during his eulogy. 'Millions of Minnesotans get to live their lives better because she and Mark chose public service and politics.' 4 Hortman, 54, and her husband were gunned down June 10 inside their Brooklyn Park home by Vance Boelter, who allegedly targeted the Hortmans as part of a planned series of attacks on Democratic officials, prosecutors said. Melissa Hortman/Facebook Hortman, 54, and her husband were gunned down June 10 inside their Brooklyn Park home by Vance Boelter, who was a political appointee of Walz, and allegedly targeted the Hortmans as part of a planned series of attacks on Democratic officials, prosecutors said. The couple's golden retriever, Gilbert, was also shot and later euthanized. The couple's closed caskets sat side by side at the front of the church, draped in blankets. Every pew was filled. Soft music played as family, friends and colleagues prayed and wiped away tears. The service began around 11:30 a.m. and included scripture readings, prayers and emotional tributes to the couple's public service and devotion to their family. 4 The private ceremony took place at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and drew hundreds of mourners, including former President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Tim Walz and dozens of state lawmakers. AP During the blessing, the priest called Minnesota 'a ground zero place for political violence and extremism,' referencing both the killing of George Floyd and the recent attacks on state officials. 'This can be a ground zero for restoration and justice and healing, but we must work together,' he said. Roughly 90 minutes before the double murder, Boelter allegedly opened fire on state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their Champlin home just miles away. Both survived despite sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. 4 The couple's closed caskets sat side by side at the front of the church, draped in blankets. Every pew was filled. Soft music played as family, friends and colleagues prayed and wiped away tears. via REUTERS Boelter, 57, was arrested after a 36-hour manhunt — the largest in state history — and appeared in federal court Friday on two counts of murder, two counts of stalking and two weapons charges. Prosecutors say he could face the death penalty. A separate state trial could result in life without parole. He remains in federal custody. His wife, Jenny, issued a statement Thursday offering condolences to the victims' families and calling the killings 'a betrayal of everything we hold true.' 4 During the blessing, the priest called Minnesota 'a ground zero place for political violence and extremism,' referencing both the killing of George Floyd and the recent attacks on state officials. via REUTERS Hortman was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2004 and served as Speaker for three terms. Her district included Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids and Champlin. She is among the highest-ranking elected officials to be killed in recent years — part of a troubling rise in political violence nationwide. The couple is survived by two adult children, Sophie, 28 and Colin, 30.
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chesterton officials call for investigation, resignation of Porter County 911 director
Chesterton's Town Council and Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson are calling for the immediate resignation of Porter County E-911 Director Debbie Gunn, accusing her of false statements regarding the performance of the Chesterton/Porter joint dispatch center during the June 18 officer-involved shooting. In addition, the town of Chesterton says they will send letters to the Porter County Council, County Commissioners and the Indiana Public Access Counselor that will request an investigation into Gunn's 'potential disclosure of privileged information' connected with specific evidence in the officer-involved shooting case. Incoming Porter Police Chief Dan Dickey on Friday issued a statement supporting Chesterton's call for Gunn's resignation, noting that her 'decision to publicly share detailed information during an active investigation was not only factually inaccurate but also inappropriately timed.' Porter County Commissioners President Jim Biggs said calls for Gunn to step down are ridiculous. 'This woman is, in my opinion, the best director that we have had in decades,' he said. 'She has given her life to making that dispatch center better.' The controversy that pits the towns of Chesterton and Porter against Gunn and Biggs, R-North, whose district includes the towns, is over how long it took an ambulance to be dispatched to the scene of the shootout on Gateway Boulevard in front of the Hilton Garden Inn the morning of June 18. Gunn maintains that the very existence of the 911 center is the issue. 'It's about the inefficient communication from a disparate center,' she said by phone Friday afternoon. 'The true issue is the inefficiencies of a separate dispatch center.' Two Chesterton police officers were dispatched June 18 to check on a 'suspicious' man on the hotel grounds. The officers' interaction with Joseph P. Gerber quickly escalated into an exchange of gunfire on Gateway Boulevard. Gerber, 45, of Winamac, fatally shot himself after being hit several times and a Chesterton police officer was shot. The Chesterton police officer is at home recovering. Gunn contends it took nearly five minutes for the Chesterton Police dispatcher to request an ambulance. Biggs, a short time after the shooting, cited the delay as evidence that it was time for Chesterton and Porter to disband and join the county's E911 consortium and that a local income tax needs to be raised to help pay for it. In a lengthy post on the town's Facebook page issued Thursday night, the town of Chesterton presented a detailed rebuttal. It is the second statement by the Town Council, which on June 23 heavily criticized statements from Biggs and Gunn that first appeared in the Post-Tribune. Chesterton officials stated they were releasing the statement Thursday because they wanted to quell any 'false panic' that Gunn and Biggs may have caused about the performance of the joint dispatch center. They defended the response to the June 18 incident as being 'first class.' Chief Richardson said Friday: 'We don't see any delayed response anywhere.' After the reaction from the Town Council to the Post-Tribune's June 22 story criticizing response times, Gunn and Biggs have stuck to their original remarks. 'As such, they are seemingly attempting to create undue panic among the citizens of Duneland with their baseless claims,' the statement said. Biggs has received considerable backlash with accusations he politicized the shooting or, at the very least, showed a lack of decorum in using it to push for the towns of Chesterton and Porter to join the county's E911 consortium on the very day of the tragedy. Some responding to the town's release on Facebook have even called for Biggs to resign. He, too, is unapologetic, releasing his own lengthy post on Facebook and scheduling a news conference for 10 a.m. Tuesday in the commissioners chambers at the county administration building to go over the timeline from the day of the shooting with documentation from Gunn's office. 'I haven't been inaccurate. I haven't done any political posturing. It's an issue that has been brewing for years. I have received several complaints over the years,' he said of the current set-up in which PC E911 dispatches fire and EMS for Chesterton and Porter, but directs police calls back to the two towns, which run dispatch out of Porter. Police Chief Richardson said with Thursday's statement, the town 'wanted to take the emotion out of it and present our case with facts and evidence.' The Post-Tribune filed an Access to Public Records Act request with Chesterton for copies of the 911 calls related to the shooting, which was denied because 'they are investigatory records of a law enforcement agency.' The town presented the following timeline and evidence: At 8:03:50 a.m., the Chesterton Police officer reports from Gateway Boulevard: 'Shots fired, I'm hit.' The Chesterton Police dispatcher, who was balancing other calls, contacts Porter County Central Communications at 8:04:48 and the dispatcher is on the line for 46 seconds, which refutes Gunn's claims that five minutes passed before police requested an ambulance. Gunn said, 'They did call 58 seconds after' an officer announced on his radio that shots were fired and he was hit, but that call came in on the administrative line. 'And 911 calls always take precedence,' Gunn said, explaining the center was swamped with them while the incident was unfolding. 'Even there, even in that argument from them, that's 58 extra seconds.' The dispatcher learns that while she was on hold, according to the town's narrative, another Porter County Communications dispatcher had radioed the ambulance station for Northwest Health at East Porter Avenue and Indiana 49. A license plate reader camera records the departure from that station at 8:08:17. Chesterton Police Sgt. Jamie Copollo, who heard the 'shots fired' call, passed East Porter Avenue and Ind. 49 at 8:05:46. She arrived at Gateway Boulevard at 8:07:30, closely followed by Porter Police Sgt. Thomas Blythe and Officer Matthew Reynolds, who heard the same distress call. Copollo radioed at 8:08:13 to dispatch that fire and EMS could enter the scene because it was deemed safe. Porter Police officers Blythe and Reynolds were already administering first aid to the downed officer. The first ambulance arrived at 8:09:03, followed closely by the second ambulance. 'This evidence unequivocally disproves another baseless claim made by Director Gunn, namely that CPD dispatch caused valuable minutes lost in ambulance response time to the shooting scene. In fact, she attempted to claim five valuable minutes lost by the CPD dispatcher's not requesting an ambulance for those five (5) minutes, according to the Sunday (June 22) Post-Tribune article,' the statement said. Additionally, officers told Chesterton Police staff that the Porter County Communications Center never advised any of them that there was an active shooter or officer down. A Valparaiso Police officer, who was patrolling near Chesterton at the time, was never informed about what was happening. 'Valuable law enforcement response time was lost by PCCC's not broadcasting this information,' the statement said. At the end of the Facebook post, Chesterton again asks for Gunn's resignation. 'Presented with this overwhelming amount of factual evidence, and given that this is not Director Gunn's first attempt to create false public panic among our Duneland residents and Town Council members, as it pertains to the joint Chesterton/Porter dispatch center, Chief Richardson and the entire Chesterton Town Council are calling for Director Gunn's immediate resignation from her position.' The official town Facebook post also personally criticized Biggs for 'running to the press within an hour or so after the shooting' with his narrative. 'His conduct was disrespectful to every brave first responder who was actively working this critical incident into the early afternoon hours,' the statement said. Porter County Board of Commissioners Vice President Ed Morales, R-South, agrees with Biggs that it is absurd for either Biggs or Gunn to step down. 'For what?' he said by text Friday. 'For pointing out a flawed process? Commissioner Biggs represents the north district and has every right to express his concerns for the public safety of the residents and the first responders who have to risk their lives in these unfortunate situations.' Commissioner Barb Regnitz, R-Center, says she doesn't know enough about the details to know who's right and who's wrong. 'We don't know if somebody's being political or somebody's being passionate,' she said. 'Their facts are probably both valid.' What she does know is that the debate playing out on social media and in the newspapers is making her uncomfortable. 'I'm concerned irreparable damage can be caused,' she said. 'My preference in conflict resolution is to meet in person, and in some cases, you might need a mediator.' And, in the end, she doesn't think the county should force the issue. 'I don't want to get into their business and tell them what to do,' she said. Chesterton Town Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, R-5th District, stated that this incident was a time for the community to come together. 'Anyone who would choose to kick them while they have an officer down based on false and misleading allegations has gravely underestimated the strength and integrity of our community,' Fisher said in a statement Friday. Chief Richardson said Friday that he has yet to hear from Biggs or Gunn since the June 18 incident. If there were concerns about response to the situation, Richardson said there should have been a meeting to debrief those involved and discuss what could be done better in the future. 'They chose not to go that route,' Richardson said, noting that Biggs and Gunn went to the media. Richardson said he's still open to meeting with Biggs and the E-911 dispatch personnel. 'Whenever they're ready, we're ready,' Richardson said.
