A former Pennsylvania high school teacher has pleaded guilty to having sex with her 16-year-old student and sending him texts, which ultimately led to her arrest.
Investigators say 38-year-old Melissa Bonkoski started communicating outside of school with a male student who was in her science class during his freshman year. They allege she kissed him multiple times in her car and assaulted him at her home in 2016.
An investigation began when the victim’s girlfriend discovered desperate text messages from Bonkoski on the boy’s phone and alerted the authorities.
Disgraced: Ex-teacher Melissa Bonkoski (left and right), has pleaded guilty to charges of institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors
Bonkoski worked as a science teacher and coach at Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown.
The Reading Eagle reports that Bonkoski pleaded guilty Monday to charges of institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.
According to a criminal complaint, Bonkoski’s history with the victim dates back to December 1, 2015.
The 16-year-old victim reportedly had Bonkoski as a teacher during his freshman year at the high school.
The two had kissed and the teacher allowed him to touch her breasts. He also stayed the night at her house, sleeping in the same bed as her, and they discussed having oral sex.
Investigators said that Bonkoski started sending ‘harassing text messages’ to the teen, who grew uncomfortable with the relationship.
‘He was worried that he wouldn’t get rides home anymore if he stopped kissing [Bonkoski],’ according to the complaint.
Bonkoski reportedly became ‘obsessed’ with the student, and contacted him using a pre-paid ‘burner’ cellphone, which she didn’t think could be traced back to her.
‘Whatever you do, please don’t shut me out,’ Bonkoski texted the student in March, according to the Daily Times. ‘I’m begging you.’
Police had no trouble tracking that burner phone back to Bonkoski, in part because it was mostly used at school and at her home.
On July 11, 2017, Bonkoski was brought in for a police interview, during which she admitted to the relationship, and said she ‘thought she was being smart’ by using the burner phone.
Her school district learned of the charges the following day after her arrest and administrators immediately demanded she resign.
The victim first came forward to police after he became upset he had cheated on his girlfriend, who notified investigators after she found text messages on his phone from the teacher.
Bonkoski worked as a science teacher and coach at Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania (pictured), where she met the victim in 2015 when he was a freshman
Based on interviews with both the teacher and the victim, authorities had uncertainty over if the relationship had progressed beyond kissing and touching.
During an August 11 interview, Bonkoski told police that she had sex with the victim, but the student at the time had only claimed that he had slept in her bed.
She was arrested and released on $80,000 unsecured bail until prosecutors had her re-arrested later that month after the victim confirmed that the two did have sex for the first time in December 2016.
Bonkoski currently remains free on bail pending sentencing, which will take place three months from now. She faces a prison term that could range from nine to 36 months.