PLUM, Pa. — New documents from the Allegheny County District’s Office filed Wednesday in court outline how prosecutors say one of two Plum High School teachers accused of having sex with a student took a great deal of time and effort to build a relationship with the victim.
Police charged Jason Cooper in February with corruption and institutional sex assault for allegedly having sex with a Plum High School student.
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In the new court filings, prosecutors laid out their case, saying that although Cooper waited until the student’s 18th birthday to have sex, he “groomed” her far in advance.
“The grooming was a necessary step in order to lay the foundation for the sexual relationship,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors said grooming is typical in these types of cases, and in Cooper’s case involved phone calls, text messages, sleepovers and kissing.
The latest filings were in response to an argument by Cooper’s attorney that charges should be dismissed because the student was 18.
A spokesman for the DA’s office said the office had no comment on the new court filings.
Calls to Cooper’s attorney for comment were not returned as of Wednesday evening.
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