A high school teacher is facing a slew of horrifying charges after it was alleged that she had a child with a 13-year-old boy, according to authorities in New Jersey.
Laura Caron, 34, a 5th-grade Middle Township Elementary School teacher, is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and second-degree endangerment to the welfare of a child, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release Wednesday.
The child is alleged to have been abused from the age of 11 through to 15 while he was residing with Caron at her home in South Jersey.
Investigators believe Caron fostered an abusive sexual relationship with her student while she taught him and his brother in the 5th grade, ABC Philadelphia has reported.
But this grew even more disturbing in 2019, when the victim was 13 years old and he began living with Caron, then 28. It was during this time that the educator became pregnant with the teen’s child, authorities believe.
According to investigators, the case began to gain attention on social media when the victim’s father took to Facebook in December 2024 to publicly voice his opinion that his son and Caron’s 5-year-old child bore an uncanny resemblance.
Caron, originally from Warrington Township on the outskirts of Philadelphia, had been a college basketball star for the private Cabrini University, a once prominent Catholic institution that closed its doors in 2024 when it was absorbed by Villanova. Her major was elementary education.
The alleged victim’s family became friends with Caron and started allowing their children to stay with her every week, but this eventually progressed and their children began living permanently with the suspect from 2016 to 2020, authorities revealed in court documents seen by ABC Philadelphia.
The victims’ siblings revealed to law enforcement that their brother had started sharing the same bed with Caron from the age of 11 and witnessed instances of secretive behavior and sexual assault in the home, authorities say.
The abused child reportedly told his sister over text that he had been abused by Caron, mentioning that he fathered a child. He reiterated this during a police interview.
Caron and the victim were reportedly still in contact until his father made the Facebook announcement last month.
Law enforcement officials from the Middle Township Police Department, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Special Victims Unit took Caron into custody “without incident” Wednesday, according to the press release.
Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland issued a statement on Caron’s charges: “This arrest underscores the unwavering commitment of our office and law enforcement partners to protect the children in our community.
“Teachers hold a position of great trust, and the allegations in this case represent a deeply troubling breach of that trust.
“We will work tirelessly to ensure justice is served and to support the victim and their family throughout this process.”
Caron is currently being held at the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending her initial court appearance.
If convicted of aggravated sexual assault, she could face imprisonment of 10 to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison with an additional term of five to 10 years for the other two charges.
Police shared that the Middle Township School District had been notified and was cooperating with officials – counseling and support services are currently being made available to students, staff, and families who may be affected by the news.
The Middle Township School District Superintendent David Salvo has issued a statement to The Independent.
“When the district was first advised of the allegations, the staff member was immediately placed on and continues to be on paid administrative leave. Additional questions should be directed to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.”
Anyone with information relating to this investigation is urged to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 609-465-1135.
