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Illinois special needs teacher sexually abused student, 14, repeatedly at his home and sent him pics in lingerie

The mother-of-one pleaded guilty to a single count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse
UPDATED SEP 25, 2020
Allyssa Gustafson (Champaign County Jail)
Allyssa Gustafson (Champaign County Jail)

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS: A teacher's assistant at a special education school has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a student at the institution. 24-year-old Allyssa Gustafson, a special needs teacher’s assistant who worked at the CIRCLE Academy in Urbana, Champaign, abused the 14-year-old boy on at least five occasions from March to August 2019, The News-Gazette reported.

Meanwhile, WAND reported how Gustafson not only engaged in sexual activities with the teenager, but also sent him photos of herself wearing lingerie and bathing suits. Nonetheless, the mother-of-one pleaded guilty to a single count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse on Tuesday, September 22. The charge is related to a sexual encounter that reportedly occurred at the student's residence. According to the New Gazette, Gustafson's guilty plea came in exchange for a more serious count of criminal sexual assault being dismissed by Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Alferink, as part of a plea agreement.

Suspicions that the special needs educator was having sex with the boy first emerged in late 2019. Authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the allegations and uncovered messages between Gustafson and her student on Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. According to the report, some of the messages saw Gustafson express fear that others at CIRCLE Academy would find out about their relationship.

Investigators also found photos Gustafson had sent to the teenager posing in swimsuits and innerwear. They said the last messages Gustafson sent the student before their activities became public included instructions to destroy all evidence of their encounters. When the boy's mother first saw Gustafson's photos, she said she remembered her visiting their home but always thought she was a high school senior, per the News-Gazette.

Speaking to WICS, Director of Circle Academy Ginger Mills said Gustafson had passed all required background checks before she was employed at the special school, which is dedicated to K-12 students who “have unique behavioral and emotional challenges that have prevented them from being successful in a public school environment,” per its website.

“We are cooperating fully with this investigation and we are offering support to the student and family,” Mills said in November 2019, when the special needs teacher’s assistant was first charged for the abuse. “We conduct extensive background checks on all of our employees and we have verified that all appropriate background checks were completed in this case,” she added, per WICS.

Now, an attorney for Gustafson is seeking probation and community service for his client — while the Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Alferink is pushing for a prison term. Under Illinois state law, penalties for the sexual abuse of a minor range anywhere from four to 15 years in prison, per the News-Gazette.

Earlier this month, we reported how a Pennsylvania dance teacher allegedly raped a 15-year-old student whom she had taught since the age of 10 over 50 times. 24-year-old Carly Green of Aston, Delaware County, was charged with statutory sexual assault and institutional sexual assault of a child after she allegedly raped a former student, according to CBS Philly.

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