Norristown’s teacher, John Richards, asked to kiss a student, says Da

A teacher at a high school in Norristown told one of her eighth grade students who was beautiful and asked permission to kiss her during a field trip planned to Washington, prosecutors said on Wednesday in Montgomery County.

John Richards, 57, was accused of attempted institutional sexual assault, attempted corruption of minors, illegal contact with a minor and related crimes after prosecutors say that the girl, 13, told her father and the director of the school about the inappropriate text message.

Richards, a Professor of Intermediate School Sciences Blockson, remained in custody on Wednesday instead of a bail of $ 10,000, as shown by the judicial records. There were no indications of having hired a lawyer.

In a letter sent to the parents on Wednesday, the School District officials said that an employee faced “serious criminal charges”, without appointing Richards, and that they trust that there are “enough reasons” to say goodbye.

“We want to emphasize that our approach is always in the safety and well -being of each student,” said the statement. “We praise both the staff of the School District and the Norristown Police Department for their immediate responses to address this issue urgently and thoroughly. We are and we will do everything in our power to support those affected by this situation.”

The Norristown police were called to Blockson on Monday morning, after the girl informed Richards to the administrators there, according to the sworn statement of probable cause of her arrest.

In an interview, the girl said that Richards had been looking at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable, and she decided to record her interaction with him on her cell phone when she called her to her desktop during class.

The video shows that Richards had written a Spanish text message using Google Translate, and placed her phone on her desk for the girl to read them, according to the affidavit.

In the message, Richards tells the girl that she is “very nervous” and says he would like to kiss her “at least 2 times in Washington.” The girl and her classmates were scheduled to attend an excursion to the city on Tuesday, and Richards was a companion for the trip.

“If you say no, it’s fine, you’re not less beautiful … You don’t need to tell me now unless you know the answer,” Richards wrote in his message, according to the affidavit. He urged the girl to give her an answer before the bus arrived to Washington.

Later, the girl told the police that the message surprised her. She said she didn’t know what to do, because she didn’t expect to hear that kind of adult language. Months before, around Christmas, Richards had asked for his address and then personally handed him a gift there, hugging her before leaving, according to the affidavit.

Later on Monday, Richards agreed to search for his cell phone by researchers. They found the original message seen in the girl’s video, as well as a second message for her in which she apologized, saying that her words “went wrong.”

Richards, in his second message, wrote that his heart “jumps a rhythm” when he sees the girl and looks at her meaningless.

“I wonder what you know the lips (sic), and I hope that God exists the opportunity to find out,” he wrote, according to the affidavit. “I don’t know what else to say, I think you’re incredible.”

Richards is scheduled to appear for a preliminary audience on March 27.