Community Corner

Teacher From Morristown Had Sex With Parsippany Student, Prosecutor Says

Jenna Leahey's relationship with the teen allegedly began with the exchange of sexually explicit pictures sent to the student.

A teacher who lives in Morristown was charged with criminal sexual contact Saturday after Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp said Jenna Leahey had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old male student.

Leahey, 32, a teacher at Parsippany Hills High School, was also charged with two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child in addition to the two counts of the fourth degree criminal sex act charge. If convicted, she faces a mandatory 20-year prison sentence.

Leahey became involved with the student in January, Knapp said, when the two began exchanging "explicit text messages" and Leahey "sent sexually explicit pictures of herself to him," according to a press statement.

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"The relationship allegedly progressed physically to acts of kissing and mutual sexual contact and continued through June 6, 2013," Knapp said. "These acts occurred on and off school grounds."

Authorities became aware of the relationship after the student spoke to a staff member at the school about them, according to Knapp. Knapp said the school is cooperating through the investigation.

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Leahey is being held on $100,000 bail with no 10 percent option and was ordered to have no contact with the student or children under 18 years old. 

Knapp thanked Det. Edward Mitreuter of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit and Det. Keith Duffy of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department for assisting with the arrest.

Anyone with information about the situation is asked to contact the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department Detective Bureau at 973-263-4300.


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