Private North Carolina Math Teacher Groomed Student Into A Sexual Relationship

Nicholas Smith was a math teacher at a North Carolina private school called the Montessori School of Raleigh where he groomed a female student into a sexual relationship.

Smith initially groomed the student by texting her before progressing to kissing her and then eventually started having sex with the underage female. The relationship continued with Smith having sex with her during a field trip, on school grounds, and even at her parents’ houses. The school leaders received complaints about the relationship but allegedly didn’t do much. They told Smith to avoid inappropriate interactions with his female students.

Smith then turned to the student’s younger sister. The accusations of abuse ran from August 2012 to June 2016 and were all detailed in a formal complaint filed in Wake County Superior Court in January, the News & Observer– a local news outlet – reports.

Smith, a 36-year-old Raleigh resident, has been in the Wake County Jail since November 7. Police say he is being charged with 13 counts of statutory rape and 17 counts of sexual exploitation with a minor.

The school’s headmistress, Nance Errichetti, is also named in the complaint. She was indicted this week and charged with aiding and abetting taking indecent liberties with a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The president of the school board, Joe Lee, notes that the district fully cooperated with law enforcement and are working to understand the whole situation, so they can keep kids in the district safe.

The two girls and their parents weren’t named in the complaint, but the relationship with the older girl began when she was only in ninth grade. The report said that the sexual relationship was both consensual and nonconsensual with both girls and happened in multiple places.

Smith convinced the girl that what they were doing was normal, that he loved her, and that he was her first boyfriend. In addition to the physical acts, Smith also allegedly had pornographic material of her.

A former Montessori School of Raleigh facing serious charges with 2 students at the school, lives just steps away from a playground. Hear what his neighbors have to say tonight at 6. #ABC11 pic.twitter.com/5t0t5CrSdr

— DeJuan Hoggard (@DeJuanABC11) February 9, 2018

The Montessori school received numerous reports and complaints, even from the teachers and staff, but they only made Smith sign a “Corrective Action Plan” that made him agree not to have inappropriate relationships with his students or enter their hotel rooms on field trips.

Head of Montessori School of Raleigh accused of aiding and abetting sexual abuse of student. #ABC11 https://t.co/JLffRiY0c5 pic.twitter.com/6kjQ1whL5z

— Ed Crump (@EdCrumpABC11) May 17, 2018

Smith moved onto the student’s younger sister when she was only in eighth grade and abused her on campus. Smith friended her on Snapchat. The parents reported it to Headmistress Errichetti, but she reportedly told the parents she didn’t believe it. The girl left the school and Smith remained to teach there until he was arrested in November.

Errichetti posted a $25,000 bail and was released from custody while Smith is still in jail with a $3.25 million bail that has yet to be posted.