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Texas Teacher’s Aide Accused Of Sexually Abusing Teenage Students Via Snapchat
Ashlyn Bell was reported by another school employee after a group of teen boys were allegedly overheard joking about impregnating her.
A former teacher’s aide is accused of using Snapchat to carry out a number of sexual relationships with teenage students enrolled at the Texas high school where she worked.
Ashlyn Bell, 24, allegedly engaged in sexual relations with three underage students in November 2019, according to a series of criminal complaints obtained by Oxygen.com. All of the alleged victims were enrolled at Texas High School in Texarkana, where Bell was employed as an instructional aide.
Last month, authorities were tipped off to the allegations after a teacher at the school reported Bell. The teacher — who overheard a group of male students teasing one boy for supposedly impregnating a school official — learned the individual in question was Bell.
“They were ragging [the victim] about him being the baby’s daddy,” a probable cause affidavit obtained by Oxygen.com stated.
The student in question later told detectives that he had sexual relations with Bell over Thanksgiving break in 2019 at her home in New Boston.
The teen, who wasn’t identified, was 17 at the time. He admitted to exchanging messages with Bell on Snapchat. The pair allegedly agreed to meet at a local truck stop and Bell later drove him to her home where they had sex, the affidavit explained. The teenager told law enforcement that Bell’s daughter was asleep in a car seat in the backseat while they traveled to her residence.
The teenager claimed he wore a condom and that it was “the only time they were together sexually.”
However, investigators later learned Bell had allegedly been involved in sexual relationships with at least two other students.
On Nov. 22, 2019, Bell allegedly used Snapchat to invite a different teenage student over to her home after a high school football game, according to a separate probable cause affidavit obtained by Oxygen.com. Once again, Bell allegedly picked up and drove the student to her home while her one-year-old slept behind the driver’s seat.
Once at the teacher aide’s residence, Bell took a shower, and then emerged allegedly wearing only a “large t-shirt and panties” before pulling the teen onto a bed, according to authorities.
“[The victim] advised that Bell pulled him over onto his back and tried to kiss him, however he told her that he had a sore throat,” the affidavit stated. “Bell removed her clothing and that they then engaged in sexual intercourse.”
The student claimed Bell dropped him off at home shortly after 5 a.m. the next morning. A week later, they allegedly had sex again at Bell's New Boston home.
The third student told authorities that he went to Bell’s home in New Boston on three separate occasions to be tutored.
He claimed nothing happened during the first two sessions but alleged Bell performed oral sex on him during his third visit. He didn't recall if they had sexual intercourse, an additional criminal complaint indicated.
The teenager admitted he was high on marijuana when he attended study sessions at Bell’s house and alleged Bell would typically pick him up from his grandparents’ home after football practice and drive him to her home, the affidavit continued.
All of the teens’ descriptions of Bell’s home and its general floor plan were consistent with one another, according to investigators.
The New Boston Police Department was unable to confirm if Bell was actually pregnant.
“I don’t know for sure if she is pregnant, that was just the rumor that kind of got it all started, when one kid accused another kid of possibly being the father,” investigator George Huggins Jr., whose name is on all the sworn affidavits, told Oxygen.com.
Huggins warned parents to be mindful of their children’s cell phone usage.
“They need to stay on top of their kids as far as what type of media they are dealing with,” Huggins said.
Snapchat in particular has become a popular tool for alleged predator teachers in both grooming potential victims and covering their tracks.
“Snapchat is one of the worst ones we’ve been in contact with because once the message has been read it disappears,” Huggins explained. “It’s hard to get that information ... it’s hard to recover.”
Bell is facing two counts of having an improper relationship between an educator and student, as well as a count of sexual assault of a child, according to court records. She was arrested on June 24 and she’s since been released pending trial, online jail records indicated.
The young teacher was hired as an instructional aide by Texarkana Independent School District in August 2019. A spokesperson for the school district confirmed that Bell was no longer actively employed by the district. The official declined to comment further on the case.
It’s unclear if Bell has retained legal counsel. The 24-year-old doesn’t appear to have a past criminal history. Oxygen.com was unable to immediately reach Bell for comment on Tuesday.
