An eighth-grade teacher allegedly violated one of his female students by discreetly asking her to kiss him. On March 17, 2025, John Richards, a 57-year-old middle school science teacher at Blockson Middle School in Norristown, Pennsylvania, called a 13-year-old student to his desk. He used his laptop to conceal his phone, where he had typed a message containing the disturbing request.
Richards wanted to kiss the student two times during a school field trip he was chaperoning. According to prosecutors, part of the message read, “I would like to kiss you at least 2 times in Washington…Let me know yes or no before he (sic) have to get off the bus…”
Police found the messages on Richards’ phone.
Thankfully, despite the power dynamic, age difference, and the threatening environment Richards created for this student, she still found the courage to speak up, the Miami Herald reported. The girl returned to her desk and contacted her father, the principal, and the school resource officer. The resource officer contacted police. When they arrived at the school to investigate, they found another message on Richards’ phone.
‘I find myself staring without meaning to,’ one of the teacher’s messages read.
The second, more incriminating message that included the girl’s name, was obtained by Fox 29. “That came out all wrong. I’m sorry for demanding anything. I have no right. When I see you my heart skips a beat,” it read. “When you are around I find myself staring without meaning to. I wonder what your lips taste like and I hope to god there’s a chance for me to find out. I don’t know what else to say besides I think you’re amazing.”
The student’s friends noticed Richards had been acting ‘weird.’
According to court documents, the student managed to capture Richards’ message to her on video with her personal cellphone, NBC Philadelphia reported. Court documents state that the students’ friends advised her to record her interactions with Richards because he had been acting “weird.” Richards turned himself in to police two days later. The field trip was scheduled for March 18.
Richards cannot contact the victim or any other minors.
Richards has been charged with felony attempted institutional sexual assault, attempted solicitation for institutional sexual assault, and unlawful contact with a minor, Fox 29 reported. He also faces misdemeanor charges of corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child and attempted indecent assault of person less than 16 years old. Richards was arraigned by a judge who set a cash bail for $10,000. The judge ordered that he have no contact with the victim or other minors.
