Catholic school teacher faces sex abuse charges

By Tim Tooten, Saliqa A. Khan
WBAL
February 1, 2017

http://www.wbaltv.com/article/catholic-school-teacher-faces-sex-abuse-charges/8663799

MIDDLE RIVER, Md. —

A Catholic school teacher is facing sex abuse charges after being taken into custody by police on Wednesday.

Robert Bonner, a teacher, coach and part-time assistant athletic director at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School a Catholic elementary and high school in Middle River, turned himself in to Baltimore County police Wednesday after a warrant for his arrest was issued Monday, a spokesman with the Archdiocese of Baltimore said in a statement.

Bonner, 48, of Middle River, faces charges of fourth-degree sex offense and other related sexual assault offenses, police said.

Police said Bonner is accused of having numerous inappropriate verbal and text message conversations with a student at the school in January. On at least two occasions, once on Jan. 19 and once on Jan. 20, Bonner engaged in inappropriate and unwanted physical contact with the student on school property, police said.

"At least one of them happened inside his office, another one happened inside the gym area, a lot of it had to do more with inappropriate conversations, and what happened in his office and in another area of the school was some inappropriate touching," Baltimore County police Officer Jennifer Peach said.

Bonner worked at the school from 1992-99 and again from 2011-17. Bonner was suspended from the school on Jan. 23, when police gave the school permission to do so, the school official said.

Once the school became aware of the alleged incident, the Archdiocese of Baltimore reported the matter to Baltimore County police, a school official said.

All Archdiocesan employees and volunteers who work with children are screened for criminal histories and through the National Sex Offender Registry, and go through training on how to recognize, prevent, and report child abuse. Bonner completed the process most recently in 2011, and he was retrained in 2014, as required by archdiocesan policies, the official said.

Bonner served as a part-time assistant athletic director and business teacher at the high school from 1992-1999, a school official said. From 1992-98, he coached the women's soccer team. From 1992-99, he coached the women's basketball team. He coached women's softball in 1993.

Bonner served as part-time assistant athletic director and as a physical education teacher for the elementary and high schools from 2001-17. He coached middle school boys' basketball and baseball from 2011-13, and from 2012-15, he coached women's soccer and women's basketball.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore and Our Lady of Mount Carmel said they are committed to protecting children and helping to heal victims of abuse. Anyone with any knowledge of any child sexual abuse is asked to come forward and report it immediately to the Baltimore County Police Crimes Against Children Unit.

If church personnel is suspected of committing the abuse, the Archdiocese of Baltimore also asks people to call the Archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection Hotline at 866-417-7469.

Bonner has been released on a $25,000 bond.