A 19 year-old woman has stepped forward to accuse a former middle school teacher of making sexual moves on her.
35 year-old Justin Spiegelhoff, who used to teach at Washington Caldwell Grade School near Waterford, was formally charged Tuesday with second degree sexual assault of a child under 16. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
Spiegelhoff--of Burlington--was released on a signature bond and a date for a preliminary hearing was set. He was ordered not to have any contact with kids other than his own.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim, as an 8th grader. allegedly received notes, gifts and cell phone calls from the defendant, some of which had sexual references. In addition, the woman alleges sexual contact occurred on several occasions.
The complaint says the alleged victim first disclosed the incidents to her mother in 2015, who then called the sheriff's dept. It isn't clear why there was a two-year delay between the time of the initial report and the defendant's initial appearance.
-0-