Teacher Accused of Molesting Single Student 36 Times

A southern Indiana elementary school teacher faces three dozen counts of child molestation that occurred over a three-year period, authorities said on Monday.

A not-guilty plea was entered on behalf of Corey Faith, 40, during an initial hearing in Harrison Superior Court, the News and Tribune reports. The Corydon man was being held at the Harrison County Jail on a $250,000 cash-only bond.

Faith admitted the incidents of molestation occurred from 2005 to 2007 in his home, his classroom at New Middletown Elementary School in Corydon and elsewhere, Harrison County Prosecutor Otto Schalk said.

A probable cause affidavit said the alleged victim was 12 years old when the molestations began and was Faith's student when he taught sixth grade. He most recently taught third grade.

The victim was on the sixth grade basketball team when her mother asked Faith to babysit her and her younger brother. According to the affidavit, that's when she says she spent her first night at Faith's home, where he lived with his wife.

From then on, she said she began spending a lot of time with Faith, and that's when the sexual molestation began. The victim says sometime after March 2005 he began fondling her and having sexual intercourse with her. They allegedly engaged in sexual relations at his Corydon home, as well as her home in Corydon and that it happened "so many times she stopped counting," WDRB reports.

The victim also said that sexual activity also occurred on school property; according to the affidavit, she became Faith's assistant for basketball practice during the summer before her seventh grade school year, during which time she says they had intercourse in the girl's locker room.

During her seventh grade year, she would ride the bus to Faith's school, where her brother attended, before getting on a second bus to the junior high school. On those occasions, she would engage in intercourse with him on the floor behind his desk where they couldn't be seen. She said that happened five separate times.

Court records said the investigation began March 19 when the Harrison County Sheriff's Department received a tip from a friend of the victim after she spoke of multiple sexual encounters with Faith when she was under 14 years old. The victim was 25 years old when she allegedly confided in her friend in Lakeland, Florida.

After police interviewed the alleged victim, officers had her call Faith as part of the investigation. During the recorded call, Faith allegedly admitted that a sexual relationship began with the victim while he was her teacher and when she was a student at New Middletown Elementary School. He allegedly told her, "When I was with you, age didn't matter."

Faith was arrested a short time later. He is currently being held at the Harrison County Detention Center.

The South Harrison Community School Corporation delivered noticed Monday of its intent to terminate Faith's employment. It issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened to learn of the events and critical lapses" in judgment by Faith that occurred.