ALFRED — Massabesic High School special education teacher Jessica Pomerleau had at least seven sexual encounters with a 15-year-old student last summer in Lyman and in the parking lot of the Maine Mall, according to a police affidavit submitted in support of her arrest.

The sworn statement by York County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Solomon, a resource officer at the school, said the boy told investigators most of the encounters took place in Pomerleau’s car, but one occurred in her husband’s truck.

Pomerleau, 36, has maintained her innocence in the case.

She turned herself in to the sheriff’s office and was arrested Oct. 11 in connection with the alleged relationship.

RSU 57 officials placed her on paid administrative leave on Sept. 29, when the district learned of the allegations.

According to the affidavit, the boy’s cellphone contained a “Jess” in the directory and in text messages, including four on a day when one of their encounters allegedly took place.

In one message, “Jess” texted, “Nobody but you has touch me in 6 months.”

About three hours later, another message said, “You having sex with me tonight  I am getting something out of this “

Pomerleau, of Limerick, faces one count of gross sexual assault and one count of aggravated unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs (marijuana).

Each of the charges carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

She is free on $10,000 cash bail and is scheduled to appear Dec. 22 in York County Superior Court.

The school district hired Pomerleau as an educational technician in 2007. She became a special education teacher the following year.

Pomerleau was in the high school’s Success Program, an alternative program in which roughly one-third of the students are special education students.

The program’s teachers, whether in special education or regular education, work with all of the students, according to Principal Christian Elkington.

The sheriff’s office began its investigation after the mother of another student reported an inappropriate relationship between Pomerleau and a former student.

Police connected the messages from “Jess” with Pomerleau after they obtained the boy’s cellphone.

The boy told police he had left the phone in Pomerleau’s car and that she told him she would leave it in the toilet paper dispenser of a portable toilet at a Lyman rest area.

The phone wasn’t there when the boy went to retrieve it, police said, because the driver for the portable toilet’s owner found it first.

Solomon said in the affidavit that the phone was unlocked with the boy’s password, revealing the messages and the phone number for “Jess.”

The deputy wrote that an Oct. 7 search of Pomerleau’s phone turned up a phone bill, under her husband’s name, for the number.

John Webb, Pomerleau’s lawyer, said it appears police have cherry-picked items for the affidavit.

“For me, it’s like looking at four pieces of a thousand-piece puzzle. I think it’s extremely difficult to look at anything when you’re looking at four pieces of a thousand-piece puzzle,” Webb said Monday, adding that he looks forward to plugging in the rest of the pieces.

Solomon’s affidavit was sealed until Friday afternoon.

The document had been impounded by the court at the request of Assistant District Attorney Kent Avery, who cited the ongoing investigation.

He sought and was granted an extension by Justice Paul Fritzsche that expired Friday.

In an order, Fritzsche wrote that he would not grant any more extensions.

In a separate order, he denied Avery’s request that the boy’s name not be included in the document or that a pseudonym be used.

Avery argued that the boy could be harmed by widespread media publicity if his name was released.

MaineToday Media is not identifying the boy because he is a minor.

 

Staff Writer Ann S. Kim can be contacted at 791-6383 or at akim@pressherald.com