Bronx Teaching Assistant Charged for Allegedly Raping Mentally Ill 14-Year-Old

The relationship reportedly began in November.

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Complex Original

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A teaching assistant from the Bronx was arrested over the weekend for allegedly having sex with a mentally ill male student. 

According to CBS New York, 29-year-old Maria Contreras began the relationship with the 14-year-old on Nov. 11, and had several sexual encounters with him at her apartment for the duration of a week. The relationship was exposed when the boy told his mother about it, prompting her to contact police. 

Contreras, who has since been fired by the Bronx Academy of Letters, was charged with second-degree criminal sex act with a victim under 15 and second-degree rape with a victim under 15. The New York Daily News reports that Contreras' attorney, Ruth Hamilton, accused the teen of lying. 

"This is the word of a special needs child with serious behaviorism issues," she said, according to the Daily News.

Calling the incident "incredibly disturbing," the Department of Education revealed that it is aiding the NYPD in its investigation.

[via CBS New York]

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