WOMAN HAS SEX WITH STUDENT 20 TIMES
Teacher threatened to fail boy if he broke off relations
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Danielle Watkins
A Connecticut teacher accused of having sex more than 20 times with one of her students and threatening to fail him if he broke off their relationship has now reportedly been admitted to a locked psychiatric-care facility.
Danielle Watkins, 32, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was an English teacher at Stamford High School until this summer when she was accused of having a nine-month sexual relationship with the 18-year-old male student.
Police say an examination of the married woman’s phone showed more than 2,000 text messages and hundreds of calls exchanged between Watkins and the student. There was also evidence she had sent naked photographs of herself to the teen.
Read the WND story that started it all. The big list: Female teachers with students
According to the Stamford Times, Watkins has entered into “locked residential acute psychiatric care” at Silver Hill in New Canaan, a nonprofit hospital which treats psychiatric and addictive disorders.
Watkins faces two counts of second-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and sale of marijuana.
Police say she had more than 20 sexual encounters with her student from September 2013 to June 2014.
Authorities say Watkins also provided the victim and another 15-year-old student with marijuana so they could smoke the illegal substance on and off school grounds.
“We are aware of the allegations,” said Superintendent of Schools Winifred Hamilton. “We take these issues very seriously and always act to protect the welfare of our students.”
Watkins has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The police probe began June 23, when Stamford Police were notified of the “inappropriate” teacher-student relationship.
Three days later, police say the student victim provided them a statement about the multiple sexual encounters he had with Watkins.
Police Lt. Diedrich Hohn said Watkins “groomed” the boy with compliments, saying he was cute and special, and then it “blossomed with a sexual relationship.”
“The trust is broken here. Her job’s in jeopardy; she’s obviously looking at jail time,” Hohn said, according to the Times.
Police say Watkins allowed her student to drive her vehicle while knowing he had no license.
They noted at one point during the relationship, the student attempted to end the affair, causing Watkins to assault him and accuse him of having a relationship with someone else.
“Watkins then used her position as a teacher to threaten to fail the victim if the encounters did not continue,” a police news release stated.
Watkins is reportedly at the Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut
In order to confirm the allegations, police executed a search warrant June 27 of Watkins’ vehicle, phone and residence.
When police pulled over her car in Norwalk, Watkins reportedly tried to hide her phone under her passenger seat.
She became “verbally combative” after officers found less than half an ounce of marijuana in the vehicle.
She was charged with interfering with a police search, second-degree breach of peace and possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana.
In the wake of the police investigation, Watkins turned herself in to police July 17, and posted $100,000 bond for two separate arrest warrants.
She is scheduled to appear in court July 31 for the sexual-assault charges.
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