Teacher faces new charges
D.A.: Former OJR instructor had sex with student in her home
SOUTH COVENTRY » New allegations have been leveled against a former Owen J. Roberts High School teacher who authorities initially accused of having improper contact with a student at the school but now say had sexual intercourse with the 16-yearold at her home.
Melissa Bonkoski was re-arrested Tuesday, with the new allegation added to the existing complaint, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. She has been free on bail since her arrest earlier this month.
The new allegation came after both Bonkoski and the former student were re-interviewed by Christine Bleiler, the Chester County detective from the D.A.’s Child Abuse Unit assigned to the case. Both acknowledged that they had engaged in sex late last year after watching television at her home in Stowe.
Bonkoski, 38, resigned from her posts as a science teacher and softball coach at the school in South Coventry after the investigation into her conduct was made public.
“Rule No. 1 if you are a teacher or a coach: Do not have sex with a student,” Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said in a news release announcing the new allegations “Breaking
this rule is a one-way ticket to arrest, losing your job, and prison. Not to mention the profound damage to the victim and the school community which you were entrusted to serve.”
Bonkoski is charged with institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communications facility.
The victim, a 16-year-old male, was a student in the defendant’s class during his freshman year. He came forward and told investigators about the relationship he had with Bonkoski after a girlfriend discovered improper text messages on his cellphone and alerted authorities, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.
Bonkoski later told detectives that she had purchased a disposable “burner” phone only for communications with the student, thinking that it would be untraceable to her. “I thought I was being smart,” she told police in an interview.
Bonkoski started the relationship by communicating with the victim outside of school, authorities said. The conduct progressed to kissing and “make-out” sessions in her car when she would pick him up from work. The youth said he was afraid that he would stop getting rides if he stopped kissing the defendant, according to court papers.
Bonkoski eventually invited the victim to her house, and discussed oral sex and sexual intercourse with the student, court papers state. She kept communicating with him on the “burner” phone, trying to keep the communications secret. Then, sometime in December, they had sex. Bonkoski acknowledged the contact in an interview with Bleiler on Aug. 11; the teen confirmed the matter on Aug. 21, according to the arrest affidavit.
The victim eventually tried to cut off contact with Bonkoski, but she continued to insist on contacting him via text messages, leading to the discovery of the crime.
“The Chester County Detectives did an excellent job following this case from a small lead to a completed and comprehensive investigation,” Hogan said. “The leadership at Owen J. Roberts High School also has been outstanding — they were cooperative throughout and have taken strong and affirmative steps to address this issue. The Chester County law enforcement and educational communities work together to keep our students safe.”
Deputy District Attorney Megan King has been assigned to prosecute this case. Anybody with any further information about the defendant is asked to contact Bleiler at 610-3446866.