Teacher From Delco Told Student He Wanted To Kiss Her: Authorities

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA — A Montgomery County teacher from Newtown Square has been accused of telling a teenage student he wanted to kiss her on a field trip he was chaperoning.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Norristown Acting Police Chief James Angelucci said John Richards, 57, of Newtown Square, has been charged with attempted institutional sexual assault, attempted solicitation for institutional sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child, and attempted indecent assault of person less than 16 years old.

Richards is an eighth grade teacher in the Norristown Area School District

Police on Monday were called to Blockson Middle School after Norristown Police School Resource Officer William Kane and Principal David Luger told them about a teacher's alleged inappropriate contact with a student, authorities said.

Investigators learned Richards called a 13-year-old female student to his desk at the back of the classroom to show her a typed message on his cellphone, which was concealed from the rest of the class by his open laptop, according to authorities.

The message said that he wanted to kiss the girl two times during an upcoming field trip that Richards was chaperoning, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said.

The message also said, "Let me know yes or no before he [sic] have to get off the bus..."

When the student got back to her desk, she told her father, Luger, and Kane about what happened.

Norristown Police later reviewed Richards’ cellphone and located a second message to
the girl. Authorities said that message read: "That came out all wrong. I’m sorry for demanding anything. I have no right. When I see you my heart skips a beat. When you are around I find myself staring without meaning to. I wonder what your lips taste like and I hope to god there’s a chance for me to find out. I don’t know what else to say besides I think you’re amazing."

Richards turned himself in Wednesday morning to Norristown Police.

He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Todd Stephens, who set bail at $10,000 cash bail, with additional conditions of no contact with the victim or minors.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27.