SALISBURY, Md. - A guidance counselor at James M. Bennett High School has been charged with 15 sex crimes, including second-degree rape, child pornography and sexually molesting underage students.
32-year-old Allen Mitchell appeared before District Court on Monday.
According to court documents, the Wicomico County Public School employee had multiple pictures of underage female students on his phone. Police say all three alleged victims attend public schools within the county.
According to court documents, it all started when one of the victims spoke out in late December after Mitchell asked her for nude photos on the social media app, Snapchat. But she was not the only one.
As early as 2015, Mitchell was reportedly having sexual relations with a 14-year-old student. According to court documents, that female student began having oral sex and exchanging nude photos with Mitchell when she started babysitting his daughter in 2015.
Other underage students were identified by police from alleged photos on Mitchell's phone. Police say much of Mitchell's communication with each of the female victims was through Snapchat.
Wicomico County Superintendent Donna Hanlin said in a statement to WBOC that Mitchell was placed on administrative leave pending this criminal investigation.
Mitchell could face up to 20 years in prison for the rape charge alone, according to court documents.
To read the full narrative from Mitchell's charging court documents, visit our WebExtra page.
