Abby Dibbs, a high school teacher from Portage, Wisconsin, was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff after authorities filed a criminal complaint against her on Friday.
The 35-year-old Portage High School teacher is accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with one of her teenage students, who apparently fell "in love" with her.
Dibbs Admitted 'Lines Were Crossed'
According to the complaint, the 17-year-old student, who has not been identified in order to protect his privacy, said he was developing feelings for Dibbs and another student reported their sexual relationship.
"Dibbs admitted that this past weekend, she and VICTIM1 had discussed how they felt about each other and how there were lines that they could not cross. Dibbs admitted that these lines were then crossed," Portage PD Sgt. Max Jenatscheck said in the complaint. Dibbs admitted that she and the student had sex with the student two times at her home last weekend.
The Relationship Turned Sexual Earlier this Spring
Police Sgt. Dan Garrigan says Dibbs and the teenager initially engaged in an appropriate teacher-student relationship but it "changed its course" and turned sexual earlier this spring. The criminal complaint noted that the teen was upset that someone "snitched" on his involvement with Dibbs but is co-operating with the investigation. Garrigan added that they are also trying to ensure if there were students other than the 17-year-old boy as part of the investigation.
Dibbs was an English teacher at Portage High School. The Portage Community School District released a statement about the investigation Friday, saying Dibbs was no longer employed by the district and would not be returning to the classroom.
Facing 12 Years in Prison
Dibbs, who was taken into custody on Thursday, appeared for a court hearing in the Columbia County Circuit Court on Friday and has been released on bail on a $3,500 bond. The judge set certain conditions for her bail, including barring her from contacting the victim, no unsupervised contact with other children other than her own child and a prohibition against being at Portage High School.
Abby Dibbs, 35, is reportedly facing up to 12 years in prison after admitting to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year old student she previously taught at the Wisconsin high school, according to documents filed in Columbia County Circuit Court. The student was apparently in love with Dibbs and was ousted by another student who reported on the assaults. If she is convicted, she can face up to 12 years in prison and $20,000 for both charges.
