School janitor accused of sexually abusing student with Down Syndrome

Robert Smith has been charged with first-degree sexual abuse amid the sexual abuse allegations.

A janitor at a Missouri highschool is accused of sexually abusing a scholar with Down Syndrome, officers stated.

Robert Smith, 50, a custodian with the Rockwood Faculty District in St. Louis County, has been charged with first-degree sexual abuse following accusations that he had inappropriate sexual conduct with the disabled scholar, in response to legislation enforcement.

A useful resource officer at Eureka Senior Excessive Faculty was alerted that Smith made non-consensual contact with the particular training scholar on Feb. 11, KTVI reported.

In a Thursday letter to oldsters, obtained by KTVI, Principal Corey Sink stated that Smith has been suspended with out pay and is banned from college district property.

“I can guarantee you we're working in full cooperation with the Eureka Police Division, in addition to taking the suitable steps in our faculty to make sure the protection of our college students, which is on the forefront of all that we do,” Sink wrote, including that each one district staff should go a prison background verify earlier than being employed.

The accused custodian has been suspended with out pay and is banned from college property.

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“I do know that any allegation of this kind may be very troubling information to course of, and we share your concern as dad and mom and educators. As a result of this can be a personnel problem and an ongoing investigation, I'm restricted as to what particulars I'm at liberty to share. I wish to guarantee you, although, that we take any allegations of this nature very significantly, and we'll do every part in our energy to help the investigators and make sure the security of all of our college students.”

Smith is at present being held on a $300,000 bail. If convicted, he faces as much as 10 years in state jail and a $10,000 tremendous.