Michael J. Conner, 38, a teacher at Central Middle School in Reading, used social media to engage with the student — a relationship that eventually turned sexual in nature, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said in a statement on Monday, Oct. 17.
The tip came to authorities last month from a Childline referral from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Human Services, the DA said.
The victim told police that the relationship began on two social media platforms, where Conner sent videos and pictures of himself performing sexual acts, and requested similar images and photos in return, authorities said.
On at least more than one occasion, Conner would pick the teen up in his car after school and drive them to a secluded location, the DA said. There, he sexually abused the victim, according to the DA's office.
Conner was charged with sexual abuse of a child, evidence tampering, and related counts after a police investigation uncovered an ongoing sexual relationship between he and a student,
Authorities said Conner had been employed as a fifth grade teacher in the Reading School District since 2020.
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