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If convicted, he could face more than a decade in prison.
WASHINGTON — A federal judge ordered a D.C. high school teacher to remain in jail on Friday while he awaits trial on felony child exploitation charges stemming from an alleged nine-month sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey ruled that 35-year-old John Gass, a history teacher at the District of Columbia International School in Northwest (DCI), will be detained pending trial, citing the serious nature of the allegations and overwhelming evidence against him.
“This case falls on the most troubling end of the child exploitation spectrum,” Harvey said during Friday’s detention hearing at the federal courthouse in downtown D.C.
Gass faces three federal charges for production and possession of child pornography and coercion and enticement. If convicted, he could face more than a decade in prison.
During Thursday’s initial court hearing, federal prosecutors detailed allegations that Gass had been sneaking into the teen’s bedroom window in the middle of the night to have sex with her while her parents slept. Prosecutors say the relationship began after the two met on a DCI field trip to New York in March.
In court, prosecutors produced text messages allegedly sent between Gass and the 16-year-old student. In one of them, Gass allegedly texted the teen to ask if her window was open. On two occasions, prosecutors say he recorded sexual encounters with the girl’s cell phone, then had her text him the videos.
Harvey rejected arguments from Gass’s defense attorney, who pressed for pre-trial release to the custody of his mother at the family’s Hyattsville, Maryland, home with strict cell phone monitoring by pre-trial services to ensure no contact with the victim.
RELATED: D.C. Teacher Accused of 9 month sexual relationship with 16-year-old asks for pre-trial release
The judge indicated that even strict cell phone monitoring could not assure the safety of the minor or prevent contact between Gass and the victim.
“A minor cannot consent in any meaningful way to sexual encounters with an adult,” Harvey said. “There’s a recklessness here.”
Harvey also cited the weight of the evidence as a factor in his decision. The evidence includes screenshots of text messages and videos of the alleged sexual encounters that show the faces of both the victim and suspect.
During Thursday’s hearing, Gass’s defense attorney argued that aside from the fact she is a minor, this was a consensual relationship between two people with no physical coercion. The attorney noted that Gass has no criminal history and nearly a decade of teaching and coaching after graduating with a master’s degree from American University.
But prosecutors accused Gass of “classic grooming behavior,” telling the teen that she looked mature for her age and that other DCI teachers were having relationships with students too. The judge cited “grooming behavior” in his ruling Friday.
Harvey appeared torn during Thursday’s proceedings as to whether Gass would be a danger to the community if released, saying he wanted more information from pre-trial services before making a ruling. After reviewing that information overnight, he issued his detention order on Friday afternoon.
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