Published: September 02, 2008 10:39 pm      

Ex-teacher charged of sex assault against former student

SOMERSET — A 55-year-old former Somerset teacher faces charges of raping and sexually assaulting one of his former students in 2001, when she was a 13 and 14-year-old girl.

Borough police on Tuesday filed charges against Stephen W. Shaffer of Grove City, Mercer County. The former science teacher at Somerset Area Junior High School retired from the school in 2005, where he had been employed since 1988.

Police said Shaffer assaulted the girl, who now is 21, in January or February of 2001. He drove with her to a secluded location in a green van, crawled to the backseat and attempted to entice the girl to touch his genitals, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

In March 2001, when the eighth-grade girl had turned 14, Shaffer raped his student while the two were in her basement, police said, adding that officers based the charges on consistent interviews with the victim and love letters, cards and notes from Shaffer that indicate a physical relationship.

Police Chief Randy Cox praised the victim for coming forward with the allegations.

“It has been a number of very difficult and painful years for her since the assault took place, and, not unlike many young victims of sexual assault, it has taken some time for her to come to terms with what happened to her,” Cox said in a release. He also said that staff at Somerset Area School District offered full cooperation in the investigation.

Schools Superintendent David Pastrick said administrators had no idea of the allegations when Shaffer retired.

Shaffer surrendered his teaching certificate earlier this year as the state’s Department of Education had been investigating a “personal, romantic and sexual relationship” with a student, according to a list of certificate actions from the department.

Shaffer is charged with rape, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, indecent exposure and corruption of minors. He was released on the conditions that he have no contact with the victim, stay away from her and her family’s home and that he surrender his passport and the deed to his house. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10.