Aric Babbitt: Minnesota Teacher, His Husband Accused Of Sexually Abusing Underage Boys


A Minnesota elementary school teacher and his husband are accused of sexually abusing underage boys. However, neither man will be able to answer the accusations against them, since both are dead from an apparent murder-suicide.

As the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, South St. Paul police this week concluded their four-month investigation into Aric Babbitt and his husband, Matthew Deyo. The allegations against them include details of alleged abuse that includes giving young boys alcohol and marijuana, and allegedly abusing them at multiple locations.

Babbitt and Deyo’s lives started to unravel in mid-August of this year, after a 16-year-old boy and his mother went to police with allegations that he, Babbitt, and Deyo had been carrying on an ongoing sexual relationship. On August 17, Babbitt’s employer, South St. Paul Schools, placed him on unpaid leave. He had been a teacher since 2002.

A week later, Babbitt and his husband were dead.

On August 25, the two men were found dead on a beach in northwest Washington (state). Investigators concluded that Babbitt had shot Deyo with a 12-gauge shotgun the previous night, before turning the gun on himself. Letters sent to the men’s families indicated that they had planned to commit suicide.

The Allegations

The first alleged victim of Babbitt and Deyo to come forward was a 16-year-old boy, who said Babbitt had been his elementary school teacher and then mentored him as he aged. When the boy came out as gay to his friends and family, Babbitt agreed to provide emotional support to him.

Soon that “emotional support” turned into gifts of underwear and yoga shirts. Then Babbitt began asking the boy for photos of him. Not long after that, the boy, Babbitt, and Deyo wound up at a Minneapolis hotel, where the men allegedly plied the young man with alcohol and marijuana before having unprotected sex with him.

Once the first boy came forward with his allegations, others soon followed. A second boy said that Babbitt and Deyo had invited him to their house to play video games. At some point, one of the men offered the boy marijuana and told him to get naked.

Multiple boys accused a Minnesota teacher and his husband of sexual abuse. [Image by Eakachai Leesin/Shutterstock]

Other alleged victims came forward. Some alleged abuse at the teacher’s home in South St. Paul; others at a lake home owned by the family of one of the men; others at a farm owned by the family of the other man. The cases all consisted of similar allegations: Deyo and Babbitt would allegedly befriend the boys, give them alcohol and marijuana, play video games with them, and sexually abuse them.

Furthermore, the men are accused of surreptitiously recording not only the alleged sex acts, but also the boys — and at least one adult man — showering, swimming in the hot tub, and other situations in which they were naked.

Damning text messages also emerged between Deyo and Babbitt, in which they allegedly tried to plan and coordinate their encounters.

“Should I be expecting a scantily clad 40 yo and (victim) to give me some hugs and kisses this weekend? I just want to be able to hug and snuggle (victim) for a couple mins without (victim) feeling awkward.

“Make sure the alarm clock ends up somewhere good. I was going to surprise (victim) with hot tub … in case it improves chances of skinny dip.”

With Deyo and Babbitt now dead, however, it seems as if the families of the boys the two allegedly abused may never get the justice they seek.

[Featured Image by Robert Hoetink/Shutterstock]

Share this article: Aric Babbitt: Minnesota Teacher, His Husband Accused Of Sexually Abusing Underage Boys
More from Inquisitr