Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Alisha Marie George, 40, faces 22 criminal charges for alleged sexual abuse of a student.
- George, a teacher and coach, allegedly groomed a student from December 2023 to July 2024.
- Additional victims may lead to more charges, according to prosecutors and investigators.
WEST JORDAN — Nearly two dozen criminal charges were filed Thursday against a middle school teacher in West Jordan accused of grooming and then sexually abusing a former student who told police he viewed her as a "mother figure."
Alisha Marie George, 40, of Eagle Mountain, is charged in 3rd District Court with attempted rape and four counts of forcible sodomy, first-degree felonies; 12 counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; distributing pornographic material, a third-degree felony; and four counts of unlawful kissing of a child, a class A misdemeanor.
Court documents indicate that additional victims have come forward, and more charges could be filed against her.
At the time of her arrest, George taught an honors language arts class at Hawthorn Academy, 9062 S. 2200 West, and was also the volleyball coach, according to police.
In court documents, prosecutors say George "used her position of trust to prey upon and groom a middle school child. The victim recounted that he was struggling when the defendant offered to help him, offering to drive him to and from school and assist in taking care of him when his mother was bedridden. (She) used this as an opportunity to engage in sexual acts with (the boy) from December 2023 through July 2024."
The victim told police he was 12 and in seventh grade when he met George. The following year, he told police he had developed a "tight relationship" with George while "he was struggling in his home life, and George offered to keep an eye on him. (The boy) reported that he viewed George as a 'mother figure' who was 'always there for him,'" the charges state.
But police say inappropriate touching and kissing soon turned into more sexual activity in George's car, her home and the boy's home.
The boy says when George told him "not to tell anyone," he "realized he was 'at the point of no return,'" according to charging documents. "(The boy) expressed that he felt like he and George were 'in a relationship' and said that if he spoke with other females at school, George would become angry with him."
The boy later described the teacher as a "monster" because "at a time in his life when he needed someone the most, George stepped up but took advantage of him," the charges state.
Investigators say that after George was arrested, "multiple students reported to the police department that they, too, had been groomed by (George) or observed the inappropriate behavior that (she) engaged in with students," according to the charges.
Prosecutors say they anticipate "additional charges will be filed, which would include conduct related to additional victims."
