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Police arrest a substitute teacher accused of sexually abusing one of his students at Churchill Junior High. An officer caught the man and the girl in the act. The man admitted to police he knew the girl was only 13 years old.
Police say text messaging led to a physical encounter between 19-year-old Christopher Page and a 13-year-old girl. The two met at a party a year ago and saw each other again at Churchill Junior High where the girl is a student.
Sandy police Sgt. Justin Chapman said, "When he saw her again as a substitute teacher in his class, he began texting her."
Late Monday night, someone called police about a suspicious vehicle near 1600 E. Buttercup Drive in Sandy. An officer found Page and the girl in Page's car.
Charging documents say Page didn't have his shirt on and the girl, who also appeared to be shirtless, had a blanket around her.
The girl initially lied about her age, telling the officer she was 16. The documents say Page texted the girl earlier that day, and the two agreed to meet.
The girl sneaked out of her house and got into his car. Ben Horsley, spokesman for the Granite School District said, "We're very concerned about it. It's shocking. It's obviously detrimental."
The Granite School District hired Page as a custodian at Churchill Junior High while Page was still a student at nearby Skyline High School.
Page began substitute teaching at Churchill last month. The district said Page was well-known there. His mother also teaches at the school. Horsley said, "He's gone through our certification. He's gone through our training. He's passed background checks. Unfortunately, this is something you can't foresee."
But police say prevention is possible. They say parents should monitor their children's activities. Chapman said, "Take that phone from them every once in a while. Check out and see who they've been talking to, what type of images are downloaded onto their phones."
The district said substitute teachers can be very young because of the teacher shortage. The district fired Page.
He's charged with forcible sexual abuse, a first-degree felony. Police say it's an enhanced charge because Page was in a position of trust. Chapman said, "If you look at a 19-year-old man, and you look at the age of the girl, we're talking a 13-year-old girl. Certainly, what comes to my mind is predator."
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
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