Teacher Caught Having Sexual Relationship With 16-Year-Old After Texts Come out

A former Pennsylvania teacher is facing charges for having a sexual relationship with a student after texts messages she sent to the 16-year-old came out.

Melissa Ann Bonkoski, 38, who was a science teacher and softball coach at Owen J. Roberts High School, has pleaded guilty before a judge in Chester County Court to charges of institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corrupting minors, the Reading Eagle reports.

Authorities claim that Bonkoski became obsessed with a 16-year-old student, with the relationship beginning by Bokonski talking on the telephone with the student and his mother about schoolwork. In March 2016, she began sending flirtatious text messages to the teenager using a “burner phone,” which she purchased believing that it could not be traced back to her.

According to the Daily Times News, one of the text messages included Bonkoski telling the teen “Whatever you do, please don’t shut me out. I’m begging you.”

By December of 2016, Bonkoski had begun giving the 16-year-old rides to and from school, during which time she allowed him to touch her breasts and kissed him. Authorities claimed that it was during this time that she lured the victim to have sex with her in her home.

The teenager told county detectives that he had attempted to stop contact with Bonkoski, claiming that he was upset because he was cheating on his girlfriend by having sex with a teacher, but he said Bonkoski forced the relationship.

“He was worried that he wouldn’t get rides home anymore if he stopped kissing (Bonkoski),” a complaint states.

Det. Joseph Walton met with the teenager’s girlfriend and her mother, who showed him texts she had captured exchanged between the teenager and Bonkoski. Walton was able to get the cellphone number and track it down through the phone provider, leading back to Bonkoski.

In an interview in July, Bonkoski admitted to having a relationship with the 16-year-old.

Bonkoski was released on $80,000 bail. Sentencing will be scheduled in three months, following an evaluation by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board. She faces nine-to-36-months in jail.