VALPARAISO, Indiana (FOX 26) - A 34-year-old Wheatfield woman is charged with having sexual contact last year with a 17-year-old male student at the Hebron Christian Academy while she was serving as his substitute teacher.
Jennifer McLeod was arrested on two felony counts of child seduction. She is accused of carrying out the acts while serving as a child care worker for the alleged victim, according to court records.
The boy said the first "unusual" incident occurred in April when McLeod gave him a ride to a friend's house and pulled over along the way to show him a video about religion. McLeod then stated that she wished he was 18 because they could not have sex until that time, police said.
The boy, who was in the 11th grade, told police he did not know how to respond.
He said he began receiving text messages from McLeod, including one that read, "If I was in high school, you would be my boyfriend," police said.
On the last day of the school year last year, the boy said he was alone with McLeod when she asked to kiss him, according to charging information. He gave permission and the two reportedly kissed "romantically" for six to eight seconds.
He said McLeod made comments about his genitalia on another occasion during the school day and the two kissed once at her home.
Police said they were provided with a series of text messages between the two and were told the telephone calls -- one lasting nearly four hours -- were even more sexually explicit.
A fellow student reportedly told investigators that the alleged victim told him about the relationship with McLeod and that he once saw McLeod rubbing the boy's chest at school.
Police said they contacted McLeod about the allegations, but she never followed through with an interview.
She has hired Valparaiso attorney Steven Bush and was given a bond of either $8,500 surety or $1,100 cash.