STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
A former substitute teacher for Caverna Independent School District is charged with grooming a minor.
Cave City police were contacted by an administrator from the school district about a potential grooming incident, according to a press release from the department.
”Officers immediately responded to Caverna Schools and opened an investigation,” the release stated.
The release stated they discovered 60-year-old Maurice Bennett, a Caverna district substitute at the time, had engaged in grooming behaviors toward a student.
Cave City officers obtained an arrest warrant for Bennett for violation of KRS 510.160 – grooming a minor. He was arrested Wednesday and lodged in the Barren County Detention Center. He remained in jail Thursday morning on a $50,000 cash bond.
Kentucky law defines “grooming behavior” as a course of conduct directed at a minor that is intended to establish an emotional connection through manipulation, trust-building or influence to facilitate future sexual conduct or to normalize or desensitize the minor to sexual conduct.
The offense was established under House Bill 4, signed into law in April.
In a separate press release Wednesday, Caverna Superintendent Amanda Abell said the district considers student safety its highest priority and takes every concern seriously.
According to the superintendent, administrators took immediate action when the concern was reported. The district notified the Cave City Police Department and filed a report with Child Protective Services.
Abell said the substitute teacher was also immediately removed from the district’s substitute list and will not be allowed to work in Caverna schools while the matter is addressed.
The investigation remains ongoing currently.
“We are committed to cooperating fully with law enforcement and child protection authorities throughout their investigation. Because this is an active matter involving student safety, we must respect the investigative process and protect the privacy of those involved,” said Abell.
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