A Bronx high school teacher was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student.
Brian Kearins, 33, a music teacher at Herbert H. Lehman High School in the Bronx, was arrested after his student’s sister found a string of emails and text messages concerning their sexual relationship since last year, the Daily News reports. The concerned sister showed the text messages to her mother, who raised the alarm with school authorities.
The married father of two boys, a 2-year-old and a 2-month-old, was arraigned Wednesday night in Bronx Criminal Court on charges including rape, committing a criminal sex act and endangering the welfare of a child.
The girl reportedly told police that she and Kearins had sexual relations on four separate occasions in the music room, Metro U.S. reports.
Kearins, who earns $69,720 a year, has been a teacher for nearly 10 years at the Bronx high school.
“Family members had learned of inappropriate e-mail or communication between the two and brought it to the attention of the high school principal, who called the police. And upon further investigation, we found evidence that led to the charges, including rape,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told WCBS 880.
Prosecutors claim he told the teenager to keep their relationship a secret.
Students at the school expressed their shock over the news.
“I’ve had him since freshman year for guitar and then chorus,” said Viviana Hernandez, 17, a junior.
“It’s a little creepy being so close to him and then knowing that. I used to keep contact with him. We used to text each other. I’m really surprised. It’s sad.”
The accused was held in lieu of $15,000 bail and a judge granted an order of protection for the girl.
Comments