BENTONVILLE -- A Siloam Springs teacher made her first court appearance after her arrest in connection with raping a 13-year-old boy.
Mary Faith McCormick, 32, appeared before Circuit Judge Brad Karren for a bond hearing Thursday morning.
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Arraignment
Mary Faith McCormick is scheduled to appear at 8 a.m. Sept. 22 in Circuit Judge Brad Karren’s court for her arraignment.
Source: Staff Report
Siloam Springs police arrested McCormick in connection with rape, a Class Y felony, on Wednesday. Prosecutors haven't filed formal charges against McCormick, a sixth-grade language arts teacher.
Police began to investigate an Aug. 8 report about McCormick engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship with the boy between June and August, according to a Siloam Springs police news release. The investigation involved the exchange of electronic messages, photographs and a sexual relationship between McCormick and the boy, according to the release.
Stuart Cearley, chief deputy prosecutor, recommended McCormick's bond be set at $75,000.
Danny Elrod, McCormick's attorney, said she wasn't a flight risk.
Elrod told Karren that McCormick has lived most of her life in Siloam Springs. McCormick's parents and grandparents are longtime area residents, Elrod said.
McCormick is married and has a 5-year-old daughter, Elrod said.
"Apparently she's working," Karren said during the bond hearing.
"She's suspended," Elrod said.
Karren set bond at $50,000. McCormick was released from jail Thursday afternoon. McCormick isn't allowed to have unsupervised contact with any minors except her own child. She can't have access to social media.
McCormick exchanged sexual-related messages with the boy, according to the affidavit. Police also learned McCormick and the boy had two sexual encounters.
The boy told police he began to exchange messages with McCormick via Snap Chat two weeks after the school year ended. The boy said McCormick sent him a photograph of her breasts and he sent a photo of himself.
Snap Chat is an electronic application that allows users to send photos and videos that disappear after a specified time, usually seconds, once the recipient views them.
The boy told police he had two sexual encounters with McCormick, according to court documents.
Ken Ramey, superintendent of the Siloam Springs School District, said McCormick has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the case.
McCormick has been a teacher for seven years and has been with the Siloam Springs School District for three years, Ramey said.
NW News on 08/15/2014