A middle school guidance counselor is being accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year old student in Pennsylvania.
Kelly Ann Schutte, 35, of Pennridge, is charged with three counts of institutional sexual assault, three counts of indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old and one count of corruption of minors.
When Schutte was working as a guidance counselor at Pennridge South Middle School in Bucks County, she supposedly assaulted the student when he was 14.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s office confirmed that Schutte turned herself in on Thursday night and was arraigned Friday morning.
She was released on $25,000 unsecured bail on the conditions that she avoid any contact with the teen and the teen’s family and that she stay away from any Pennridge School District facilities.
The boy and his family told authorities that Schutte abused the boy at her home and in his own bedroom in June when his parents and sister were away for the day.
It was reported that she also sexually assaulted the boy in her SUV on July 17 while they were driving to her home from the Weis Supermarket in Pennsburg Borough. She had driven to the store with the boy to buy a bottle of wine and other items.
Afterwards, surveillance footage captures the two entering her SUV and driving from the main parking lot to a secluded tree line where she parked for about seven minutes before leaving.
Authorities were first notified about the allegations when the teen’s concerned mother called the Upper Perk Police Department on July 18 to claim that her son had been kissed and touched inappropriately by his middle school guidance counselor.
The boy had told his parents that he and Schutte had a romantic and sexual relationship. The student’s parents learned about the alleged abuse after he called them the night before “in a panic”, saying he needed to be picked up at Schutte’s home.
When the parents arrived at Schutte’s home, they found their son hiding behind a parked car. He told his mom and dad that a member of Schutte’s family had seen him and Schutte kissing inside her house. The family member had got very angry and told him to get out and leave right away.
When the student met with investigators on July 19, he allegedly told them the relationship with Schutte began in the fall of 2022 when they sat together on the school bus during a class trip.
After that, he alleged Schutte began calling him to her office, causing him to sometimes miss class.
According to the boy, the sexual abuse started happening between them in June 2023.
Authorities found messages and pictures on the teen’s cell phone of him with Schutte at her house during their investigation.
Investigators claimed they found one of Schutte’s earrings inside the teen’s home after she sexually assaulted the student at his house in June. They also discovered evidence that the student and Schutte communicated with each other on the school’s messaging system and then via Snapchat.
Investigators allegedly recovered a number of handwritten notes from the teen which were in Schutte’s office.
On Friday, the Pennridge School District released a statement saying that Schutte had been placed on administrative leave.
In the statement, Superintendent Angelo Berrios said, “While we refrain from making premature judgments about the actions of the staff member facing prosecution, it is crucial to reiterate the district’s stance against any inappropriate contact between a Pennridge School District employee and a student. Such behavior will NOT be tolerated. We want to assure you that the district is fully cooperating with the District Attorney’s Office.”
Schutte is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 20 for a preliminary hearing.
