Dec 6, 2007 - Ralph Kelly, 34, a teacher at Brighton Collegiate High School, was arrested on charges of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Lopez at (30
3) 655-2335.
Photo from Brighton Police Department
[We do not know why he has no shirt on.]
Better coverage: Ch 9 News says he is also being held on an immigration hold. He is Irish. He is a Social Studies and German teacher. The alleged victim of the assault was, and still is, a student at the school at the time.
The Rocky Mountain News reports that in June, a former teacher at the school was sentenced to 45 days in jail for a sexual liaison with a 17-year-old student. That teacher, Carrie McCandless, 30, also was sentenced to five years of probation and will be supervised as a registered sexual offender for 10 years as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
BACKGROUND
That's only half of it.
The Brighton Collegiate School was formerly called the Brighton Charter School. This is the same school where teacher Carrie McCandless pleaded guiltyin April 2007 to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful sexual contact. She served a 45-day sentence. She was the wife of the school principal.
In December 2006, the board president of the Brighton Charter School, David Mundy, Sr. resigned his position amid allegations of tampering with a witness and failure to report abuse in connection to the McCandless case. He pleaded guilty to failure to report child abuse on July 13 and received $500 fine.
Mundy's son, David Mundy, Jr. pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault on a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2005, stemming from an incident in which he was partying with three girls, ages 14 to 16, at his apartment. One of the girls was a student at Brighton Charter School where Mundy, Jr. was a substitute teacher.
McCandless will be registered as a sex offender for 10 years.
Kelly has been placed on administrative leave with pay.
Dec 7 - From the Rocky Mountain News: 9News said they obtained a court document that alleges the teacher allegedly told the teen to perform a sex act or get a bad grade.
The student said Kelly told him, "If you cherish your grades, you'll do what I say," before exposing himself to him and having the teen perform a sex act on him, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by 9News.Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lifted their hold on Kelly. Kelly is the third teacher arrested in the 15-teacher school.
The student alleges the incident happened in a classroom during school hours when the two were alone.
Dec 20 - Kelly has hired a "high-profile" attorney. [Or someone did.] The district attorney’s office delayed the official filing of charges until Jan 9.
TT - These "high-profile" lawyers seem to be a rage in Colorado. Darcie Esson, sentenced this month for sex with a student, at one time hired Kobe Bryant's attorney. We thought then that it was a movie-of-the-week move. It may not impress jurors, but Colorado judges seem to be impressionable people.
CHARGED Jan 9, 2008 - Kelly was charged with a single count of sexual assault on child by a person in a position of trust – a class four felony. A preliminary is scheduled for Mar 19.
TRIAL SCHEDULED June 5, 2008 - Kelly pleaded not guilty to a charge of a sexual assault on a child during an arraignment hearing May 27. His trial is scheduled for Sept, 15.
