Former elementary school teacher Laura Caron was indicted Tuesday in a sexual assault case that dates back to 2016, according to authorities.
Caron, 34, was indicted on charges alleging first degree aggravated sexual assault, second degree sexual assault and second degree endangering the welfare of a child, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.
A Cape May County Grand Jury announced the indictment Thursday afternoon.
Between 2016 and 2020, Caron engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student who was living in her home during that period, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the Middle Township Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit said.
A Cape May prosecutor noted that Caron allegedly assaulted the then 11-year-old boy “about twice a week for four years.”
At that time, Caron was a 5th-grade teacher at the Middle Township Elementary School.
Caron also gave birth to a baby in April 2019 when the boy was 13 and she was 28, police alleged. She reportedly told friends, “the child’s father was ‘out of the picture.’”
The boy’s family, meanwhile, has previously spoken out about struggling to process the allegations, which a judge once called “troubling and reprehensible.”
“I’m sick to my stomach every single day,” the alleged victim’s sister said. “You see stuff like this on the internet, but for it to actually happen to someone that you know — it’s an un-describable feeling.”
The victim and his family have not been publicly identified by authorities and his sister previously asked not to be named to protect their privacy.
“These allegations are deeply disturbing, particularly given the position of trust the defendant held in relation to the victim,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said in a statement this week. “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.”
NJ Advance Media staff writer AJ McDougall contributed to this report.
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Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com