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Michelle Mercogliano, of Phoenixville, had a sexual relationship with a student at Conestoga High School, where she worked as a teacher, beginning in February 2025, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said.
The alleged victim told detectives that his communication and relationship with Mercogliano outside of class began early in the school year when he was late for school and Mercogliano asked one of his friends for his SnapChat handle, according to the affidavit obtained by Daily Voice. Mercogliano messaged the student to offer them a ride, police paperwork says.
The victim said he had sexual intercourse with Mercogliano approximately 12 times and that Mercogliano performed oral sex on him on a similar number of occasions, police paperwork says. The first time the two had sex was at the victim’s home in Wayne (Treddyffrin Township), the complaint says.
The victim said that Mercogliano would secretly pick him up in the back parking lot of apartments near Conestoga High School and would drive him to his home or to a local marijuana dispensary in Phoenixville, police paperwork says. The teacher would buy the marijuana and give it to the child, police paperwork says. Mercogliano has given the victim marijuana about once a week since last December, police said.
Mercogliano and the alleged victim would then smoke the marijuana together and have sex, the complaint says.
The alleged victim’s father found medical marijuana with Mercogliano’s name on the label in their bedroom closet, the criminal complaint says. The alleged victim’s sister told their parents about the sexual relationship happening between Mercogliano and her sibling, the criminal complaint says.
Police learned of the conduct earlier this week, quickly launched a thorough investigation, and immediately worked with the Tredyffrin Eastown School District to prevent the Defendant from having further contact with students, the prosecutor's office said in a release.
“Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers," Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe said. "The Defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust. It will not be tolerated.”
Mercogliano was charged with institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors, delivery of a controlled substance, and other related offenses. The Defendant has not yet been arrested but is cooperative and arranging an appropriate time to turn herself in via her attorney, officials said.
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