By SAXON DAUGHERTY
Staff writer
A former Franklin Middle School teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old female student while he was still teaching waived his preliminary hearing in the case Wednesday in Venango County Central Court.
Charges filed against Kyle Askins, 25, will now be bound over for further proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas.
Kyle Askins
Askins, a former health and physical education instructor at the middle school, was placed on unpaid-administrative leave by Franklin Area School District earlier this month after he was charged by Franklin state police.
The 2010 Franklin High School graduate was then formally terminated by the school board last week.
Charges filed against Askins include felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, interference with the custody of children and corruption of minors and a misdemeanor count of indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age.
A criminal complaint filed through district judge Patrick Lowrey’s office said Franklin state police troopers responded to a report on May 1 of a 13-year-old girl leaving her residence without her parents’ permission in the middle of the night.
Later in the day, staff from Franklin Area School District contacted police with additional information, the complaint said.
Cpl. Lee Bunyak then interviewed Askins, who said he was involved in a relationship with the girl, the complaint said.
Askins said he was aware the girl was only 13 years old, and he described meeting with her on 10 different occasions outside of school, the complaint said.
During the encounters, Askins said he would take the girl to a residence on East Third Street in Oil City and engage in sexual acts with her, according to the complaint.
Askins admitted to contacting the girl online at 3 a.m. on May 1, picking her up at her house and transporting her to the house in Oil City, the complaint said.
Askins remains in the Venango County jail on $100,000 bail.
