Charter-school instructor charged with sexual assault
A construction-course trainer at the Crispus Attucks Charter School was arraigned Monday on charges stemming from his alleged sexual relationship with a 19-year-old female student.
D’Juan L. Freeland, 33, of 345 Canary Circle in West Manchester Township, faces two felony counts of institutional sexual assault for having sex with the student twice in a two-week span, according to charging documents.
On Oct. 14, the student told Aaron Beard, the charter school’s dean of students, that she was involved with Freeland, according to court documents.
The 12th-grade student reported her consensual sexual relationship with Freeland after thinking he had lied about being married, documents state.
In a November interview with York City Police, the student indicated the two had sexual intercourse at Freeland’s aunt’s home in September and at his Canary Circle home in October, according to court documents.
The student told police Freeland “basically groomed her,” starting last summer, by taking an interest in her and driving her to places such as Memorial Park and the Crazy Tomato Restaurant to talk, documents state.
Freeland first had sexual contact with the student Sept. 23 in a third-floor bedroom at Freeland’s aunt’s home, while his aunt was on the second floor, according to court documents. The student told police the sex was consensual, documents state.
Freeland and the student took several photos together, including “a very intimate photo of Freeland with no shirt on with his lips on (the student’s) ear” taken in his aunt’s third-floor bedroom, according to court documents.
Less than two weeks later, on Oct. 4, in an effort to prove to the student he wasn’t married, Freeland took her to his West Manchester Township home and said the mother of his two children had moved out, according to court documents.
While at the home, the mother of Freeland’s children came to the residence, and again, Freeland denied being married to the woman, documents state. Freeland also told the student he had a brain tumor and didn’t know what his long-term prognosis was, according to court documents.
After the woman left, Freeland and the student had sex for the second time, according to court documents.
The next day, Freeland told the student that police and the school had found out about their relationship and asked her to delete all photos, videos and text messages showing they had been in contact, documents state.
The student “was crushed over the fact that Freeland cut off the relationship” and that Freeland lied about the mother of his children, and she reported the relationship to Beard, documents state.
Contact between Freeland and the student ended after the report was made to school authorities, according to court documents.
In a Nov. 10 phone call recorded by the York County District Attorney’s office, Freeland told the student he loved her and wanted to marry and have children with her someday, finishing the conversation by saying the end of their relationship was “heart-breaking,” documents state.
During a December police interview, Freeland denied taking the student to his home and his aunt’s home and accused her of making up the allegations before admitting he had hugged and kissed her, documents state.
Freeland also told police he had been with the mother of his children for more than 10 years, but they were not legally married, according to court documents.
When confronted with the student’s photo of them together in his aunt’s home, Freeland said “he did not feel as though the photograph of the two of them was intimate,” according to court documents.
After hearing the phone call recorded by the DA’s office, Freeland denied the voice was his and ended the interview, documents state.
At the end of the interview, a York City Police detective spoke with Freeland’s aunt, who confirmed Freeland had introduced her to the student, documents state.
Freeland was released Monday on $25,000 unsecured bail, according to court documents.
Freeland was fired from his position, having worked at the charter school since February 2015, documents state.
Attorney Josh Neiderhiser of the York County Public Defenders’ Office declined immediate comment on Freeland’s case.