Ohio Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sexual Contact With 14-Year-Old

An Ohio teacher has pleaded guilty to sexual contact with a 14-year-old student.

FOX 8 reports that Benjamin Rutan, 42, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Rutan works at a middle school in Franklin County. He was accused of a total of six charges, mostly relating to sexual abuse against the teen, back in 2013.

Rutan was the girl’s language arts teacher, track and basketball coach at Norton Middle School. The abuse is alleged to have occurred on school grounds and other locations until she was 19.

From FOX 8:

Police said the victim first contacted authorities on Nov. 17, 2021, and was given a recording device on Dec. 2, 2021, with which she allegedly caught Rutan admitting the sexual contact several times during a conversation.

Rutan, who was arrested on Dec. 8, 2021, was issued a $50,000 bond, and initially charged with two counts of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He was placed on administrative leave the same day.

To read the entire FOX 8 report CLICK HERE.

The victim, Madison Sparks, went public on Monday. She’s now 24.

Rutan is expected to be sentenced in April.

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