NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — A former choir teacher of a local high school is facing criminal charges after court documents say she had an inappropriate relationship with a student.
According to a press release from the New Wilmington Police Department, an investigation into 26-year-old Olivia Lois Ortz began after the principal of the Wilmington Area High School received a call from Ortz’s husband, reporting the alleged relationship. As a mandated reporter, the principal reported the allegation to the police.
Police say they held interviews with the 17-year-old female student involved in the incident, who told officers that they considered Ortz to be a safe adult whom they trusted and confided in. The student also said the relationship allegedly turned into a romantic one that resulted in sexual activity.
Officers say that Ortz communicated with the student outside of school verbally, via cellphone and through text-based messaging.
Documents say that the student allegedly came to Ortz’s residence after she invited them over while her husband was away on a trip. Officers also say that the student returned to the house at Ortz’s invitation on multiple occasions to comfort her after her husband had discovered their secret relationship.
Officers served a search warrant on May 5 and confiscated Ortz’s cell phone and iPad. They believe that the student and teacher began communicating over Spotify after the confiscation and that code words were established to indicate if the continued communication had been discovered. Over 100 messages were sent over Spotify from May 10-11 until the student’s father confiscated their cellphone.
Ortz surrendered to police on May 16 and was committed to the Lawrence County Jail. Her bond was set at $150,000. Her preliminary hearing is set for May 25.
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