Global Courant 2023-05-19 23:26:15
This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
A Washington state schoolteacher has been arrested after allegedly grooming a teenage student and intimidating her to the point that she contemplated suicide.
Police say Jesse Webb, a 44-year-old chemistry teacher at Kentlake High School in Kent, Washington, has been charged with communicating with a minor for immoral purposes as a result of an inappropriate physical relationship with one of his 15-year-old senior students, Fox 13 Seattle reported.
Court documents allege that the interactions took place between October 1, 2022 and December 15, 2022, and that Webb began messaging the student on Instagram, telling her he missed her and that she looked “hot” in certain outfits .
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Jesse Webb, 44, has been charged with communicating with a minor for immoral purposes (Fox 13 Seattle)
The communication then moved on to Webb calling the now 16-year-old student “babe” and “cupcake”.
Webb then told the student he wanted to have sex with her, according to court documents, and the victim said he would kiss her on the neck and hug her behind the school and tell her he loved her.
Court documents accused Webb of “grooming” the teen and giving her gifts.
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Jesse Webb allegedly groomed and pressured the teenage girl to the point of suicidal thoughts. (Fox 13 Seattle)
In November 2022, prosecutors said the student was so distraught about the relationship that she called the King County Crisis Line and said she was having suicidal thoughts. She told the coordinator that she was being looked after by her teacher and the stress had become too much.
The student said Webb told her to deny any knowledge of the relationship if asked, and instructed her to tell investigators that she was high on LSD and hallucinating when she called the crisis hotline.
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Kentlake High School in Kent, Washington (Google Earth)
Webb reportedly resigned from the school district, but Fox 13 Seattle reported that he will be paid until August 18, 2023.
Webb pleaded not guilty in court on May 18 and has been ordered not to have contact with the victim and any minors.
Kentlake High School did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
