A woman identified as Erin Ward allegedly sexually abused a 17-year-old high school student at the school where she worked (photo provided by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
A Nebraska substitute teacher is in jail after allegedly being more or less caught in the act of sexually abusing a high school student in the back seat of a vehicle over the weekend, authorities say.
Erin Ward, 45, stands accused of one count of felony sexual abuse by a school employee, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
The teacher allegedly admitted to the crime after a hectic series of events, including a failed getaway, according to law enforcement.
Just before 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, the sheriff’s office received a call about a suspicious vehicle near the end of a dead-end road in the Elkhorn neighborhood on the far-flung western edge of Omaha. Sheriff’s deputies arrived sometime later and approached the gray 2015 Honda Pilot parked near North 189th Street.
As the deputies made their way toward the mid-size SUV, they noticed two people in the back seat, according to a press release issued later on Saturday. One of the two “quickly accessed” the front driver’s side seat and put the vehicle in motion. The Honda nearly just as quickly crashed, however, into a yard roughly two blocks north.
“The driver, a teenage male, fled on foot wearing no clothes,” the sheriff’s office said in the press release. “He was not initially located.”
Meanwhile, the other person in the SUV stayed behind. Law enforcement identified her as Ward, and said she “was now putting her clothes on in the back seat” when deputies made contact with her.
After deputies allegedly located an Omaha Public School employee identification card in the vehicle, the defendant allegedly told the deputies that she was employed as a substitute teacher at nearby Burke High School “and other metro Omaha area schools.”
Ward allegedly admitted to having sex with the boy, who she identified as 17 years old — and a student at Burke, the sheriff’s office claims.
Law enforcement said the SUV is owned by Ward “and her spouse.”
The boy was found at around 4 a.m., according to the sheriff’s office. He was allegedly “wearing only boxers, a t-shirt and socks.”
Both Ward and the teen received minor injuries in the car crash.
“The victim was transported to a safe place to receive care and be interviewed,” the sheriff’s office press release continues.
According to Douglas County Jail records, Ward is still being detained as of this writing. Her first name is either misspelled as “Eri” in jail records or misspelled as “Erin” in the sheriff’s office press release.
On Sunday, Omaha Public Schools addressed the allegations in a statement obtained by Omaha-based ABC affiliate KETV.
“We are writing to share that law enforcement has arrested a metro-area substitute teacher for inappropriate conduct with a minor,” Burke High Principal Darren Rasmussen wrote. “The individual worked at Burke High several days during the 2023-24 school year. They will not be returning to our school or any others in our district.”
Law&Crime reached out to the Douglas County Court for additional details on this case but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
The investigation is said to be ongoing.
Ward faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in state prison if she is convicted as presently charged.
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