Norristown Middle School teacher asks to kiss student during upcoming field trip

A former middle school teacher in Norristown, Pennsylvania has been arrested for “Institutional Sexual Assault”.

According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, 57-year-old John Richards was arrested on felony charges of “Attempted Institutional Sexual Assault, Attempted Solicitation for Institutional Sexual Assault, and Unlawful Contact With a Minor—Sexual Offense, as well as misdemeanor charges of Corruption of Minors, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Attempted Indecent Assault of Person Less Than 16 Years Old”.

Norristown Police began their investigation on March 17 when police were called to Blockson Middle School about a “teacher’s inappropriate contact with a student”.

Police found that Richards called a 13-year-old female student to his desk at the back of the classroom to show her a typed message on his cellphone, which said that he wanted to “kiss her two times during an upcoming field trip that Richards was chaperoning”. The message read, “Let me know yes or no before he [sic] have to get off the bus…”

When the girl returned to her desk, she immediately contacted her father, the principal, and the school resource officer to report what had happened.

Richards’ phone was concealed from the rest of the class by his open laptop.

When Norristown Police reviewed Richards’ phone they found a second message to the girl, which said: “That came out all wrong. I’m sorry for demanding anything. I have no right. When I see you my heart skips a beat. When you are around I find myself staring without meaning to. I wonder what your lips taste like and I hope to god there’s a chance for me to find out. I don’t know what else to say besides I think you’re amazing.”

Richards turned himself into Norristown Police on March 19.

He is being held on a $10,000 cash bail, with additional conditions of no contact with the victim or minors. He will be seen before a judge on March 27.