Over One Hundred K-12 Educators Charged with Child Sex Crimes in 2022

There have been 181 K-12 educators reportedly charged with child sex crimes ranging from child pornography to rape, thus far in the year 2022.

An analysis done by Fox News Digital found there was an average of one arrest per day in 2022 — of school officials including principals, teachers, substitute teachers, and teachers’ aides.

One such example included 34-year-old Roger Weaver Freed, the former principal at Williamsport Area High School in Pennsylvania.

Freed was charged with sexual contact with a student, corruption of a minor, furnishing liquor to a minor, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault without consent in June. This came about through a years-long sexual relationship with a male student.

Freed is just one of the four principals arrested for child sex crimes. To make matters worse, 153 teachers, 12 teachers’ aides, and 12 substitute teachers have also been charged this year.

Of those arrested, 77 percent of the cases involved crimes against students and 78 percent of suspects arrested were male.

One of those men is 45-year-old teacher Norman Merrill, a former educator at Green Mountain Union High School in Vermont.

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Merrill was arrested for the production of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material in May. He is accused of producing videos with nude children and secretly recording videos of female students walking by him in school.

Women have also been charged. Anessa Paige Gower, a 35-year-old former biology teacher at Making Waves Academy in Richmond California, was charged with 29 counts of child molestation back in April.

She had been accused of sexually abusing seven students, including acts of forcible sodomy against minors and sharing sexually graphic photos online while still serving as an instructor.

Fox News’ article comes at a time when the Department of Education (DOE) recently analyzed state policies prohibiting “passing the trash,” which refers to the act of allowing suspected sexual abusers to quietly leave their jobs which could result in them continuing their criminal activity in another school district, unabated.

The DOE, however, found state laws vary on the vetting of school hires and only 11 states require applicants to disclose if they are under investigation for sexual abuse or sexual misconduct. This number is staggeringly low.

With at least 181 educators being charged with child sex crimes just this year — and millions of American parents learning what their children have been taught via online education during the COVID-19 pandemic — it is no wonder why homeschooling is reportedly on the rise across the country.

Where U.S. education culture goes from here is in the hands of local leaders, and the vocal and vigilant parents who care enough about their child’s education, to remain involved so that they can help our nation’s teachers in check.

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