MIDDLETOWN, DELAWARE (3/23/2016) A music teacher in the Appoquinimink School District was charged today with dealing in child porn and other counts after she sent sexually explicit images to a student, Delaware State Police said.
Nicole D. Veneroso, 32, of Newark, was hired in the fall to teach at Everett Meredith Middle School, Silver Lake Elementary and Townsend Elementary, according to district officials.
Police said they began investigating in January after the mother of a 13-year-old boy who is a student at Meredith Middle reported to administrators she had found sexually explicit video and images of a female teacher on his cellphone. Administrators then contacted police.
Police said their investigation found that Veneroso had begun a relationship with the boy in December, which continued until discovery of the images.
Veneroso had sent him numerous sexually explicit photographs, videos and text messages, police said.
Veneroso also was charged with sexual solicitation of a child under 18, second-degree criminal solicitation, five counts of providing obscenity to a child under 18, three counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a child by a person of trust, and endangering the welfare of a child. She was being held at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution near New Castle in lieu of $53,250 secured bail.
District Superintendent Matt Burrows had sent a letter to parents in January notifying them of the allegations and stating that Veneroso had been placed on administrative leave.