Richfield, Minnesota — A Richfield Middle School employee is facing felony charges after allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student, police say.
The Richfield Police Department announced on Facebook that officers arrested 23-year-old Joshua Moton on Tuesday after school staff became aware of the situation and contacted law enforcement.
Prosecutors charged Moton on Thursday with first-degree criminal sexual contact with a victim aged 14 to 16. Moton served as a campus supervisor, paraprofessional, and sports coach at Richfield Middle School.
According to prosecutors, a student reported Moton engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl. The victim told police officers that Moton had her perform oral sex on him, touch his genitals, and engage in penetrative sex on several occasions over the course of a month.
According to prosecutors, the victim claimed Moton contacted her outside of school via social media. When Moton was arrested, he told officers that he had sexual contact with the victim within the previous week, according to the charges.
Moton allegedly told officers that the behavior was inappropriate because the victim was a young student and he held a position of authority at her school.
Superintendent Steve Unowsky informed Richfield families on Wednesday that the school placed Moton on administrative leave and notified police as soon as staff became aware of the allegations.
Moton was not listed as a staff member in the Richfield Middle School directory on Wednesday.
“We recognize that this news may be upsetting, and that many of you may have questions. “We are unable to share additional details at this time due to state data privacy laws and an ongoing police investigation,” Unowsky wrote. “The safety, well-being, and trust of our students, staff and families are our highest priorities.”
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Unowsky also stated that school counselors and mental health professionals will be available to assist students in processing the developments as needed.