2 teachers accused of child sex abuse

Published 06/28/09

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — The Frederick County State's Attorney Office says two high school teachers have been charged with sexually abusing students.

Authorities say Robert Rich of Hagerstown, a science teacher at Catoctin High School, had an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old female student. A grand jury on Friday indicted the 47-year-old man on one count of child sex abuse on school property, among other charges.

Meanwhile, authorities say 25-year-old Adam Windsor, a theater and band teacher at Ballenger Creek Middle School, allegedly used a cell phone to videotape 13- and 14-year-old girls changing clothes. Windsor, also of Hagerstown, was indicted on two counts of child sex abuse, among other charges.

Both teachers have been placed on administrative leave. Each could face 25 years in prison.

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sentencing - 2009-07-07 22:21:30

Mr Lee, I'm intrigued by your sarcastic suggestion that we "pretend to be a civilized country". Truly, I think we *should* try to be more civilized! And a great start (in my humble opinion) would be for people to stop molesting or abusing young children...

As for giving people second chances... Would you give a murderer a second chance if you knew he would most likely kill again? Statistics indicate that over 90% of sex offenders reoffend, usually because there are psychological factors that drive them.

I have to wonder how much knowledge or understanding you have on this topic, and from what perspective?

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danielle h. - , - Karma: Neutral

Administrative Leave, FIRE TEHM - 2009-06-29 08:33:07

I am sick and tired of schools protecting these teachers that abuse kids. When it is founded on credible evidence the teachers are not even fired. Two teachers at my sons school did something horrible to humiliate 4boys at the school and other things the rest of the school year. I told the school, I went to the school superintendent and told him what happened. He had the nerve to tell me "Some of these kids come from dysfucntional homes that sometimes they need to use different methods to get their attention". Trust on this I am not done with this school. My sons homeroom teacher made it a vendentta to make life in class hard for my son after I made several complaints about her inability to teach effectively. As parents we have to stand up and say to these schools and the Teachers Union that we are tired of kids being used as play things. We are tired of them using them to take out whatever frustration they may have in their home life on our kids. Or in my sons case her dislike of African-Americans, I would not say it if I did not have the proof to back it up. People who do not like other Races have to work too, so for her being a teacher dose not automaticly mean she has to like African-Americans and other Races. I am not stopping until she can no longer teach and be around kids period. That better step are taken into who can be hired and who cannot. These people are with our kids 8hrs a day for 1/3rd of their life why shouldn't we have a say as to who is qualified and who isn't...People you better start complaining....

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Sarah B. - Elkton, MD - Karma: Bad

sentencing - 2009-06-29 00:03:45

Well there you go Laura. We lock them up in a hole forever and not pretend to be a civilized country, where if people make a mistake they are given a second chance.

Bottom line: Stop being the moral police on something you don't understand.

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J Lee - Columbia, MD - Karma: Neutral

sentencing - 2009-06-28 15:49:06

How ironic that these two teachers face up to 25 years in prison for their egregious crimes. In another article on this site today, a man who admittedly raped his stepdaughter 2 or 3 times a week was sentenced to 9 years, with all but 18 months suspended. It will be interesting to see how the teachers are sentenced in Frederick. Sentences for child sexual abuse in Anne Arundel County are often surprisingly light.

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Laura R. - , - Karma: Neutral