A longtime English teacher has resigned from his 27-year career at Mounds View High School in Arden Hills following felony charges alleging a sexual relationship with a minor student, and police believe there could be more victims.
Ted Matthew Bennett, 58, of north Minneapolis was taken into custody on Tuesday on a probable cause charge of criminal sexual conduct. The school’s principal, Rob Reetz, issued a written statement to the school community the same day stating that Bennett had been placed on leave amid a law enforcement investigation, but did not state the nature of the investigation.
Bennett was formally charged on Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court with felony counts of third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving contact and penetration of a minor under age 18 and within a prohibited occupational relationship.
The criminal complaint details that police responded to the high school on Monday and began their investigation following a report of an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a 16-year-old student.
According to the charges:
The victim told police that she and Bennett had been communicating by phone and emails since the end of the last school year and into the summer, but initially denied any sexual activity. Following an authorized search of the teen’s phone, police were able to establish a “significant amount of evidence” through phone records and graphic text messages establishing that Bennett had sexual contact with the victim on multiple occasions and had engaged in graphic sexual conversations with her. Other evidence obtained by police showed that Bennett used both his school and personal emails to communicate with the victim on her school email address.
Examination of the phone messages also revealed that Bennett had provided alcohol and narcotics to the victim. In one text, the victim confided to Bennett that she told a friend she wanted to kill herself and asked if Bennett could get her some Adderall. Bennett responded that he had “like 400 pills … it’s so easy to get on it.” When the victim asked Bennett if he would give her some Adderall, Bennett replied, “maybe … add on some more illegal behaviors to the list.” Another message four days later indicated that Bennett had met up with the victim in the school parking lot and had given her Adderall and alcohol. Another message a few days later, on Nov. 8, indicated Bennett again provided alcohol to the victim, and they discussed using cocaine.
The teen victim subsequently admitted to police that the communications had grown sexual in nature and that “hands on” sexual contact had commenced in October of this year. The criminal complaint describes that the sexual contact took place in both of their vehicles and within the school building, and that Bennett had also sent her “porn clips” and expressed his desire to “recreate” what was in the videos.
The day Bennett was placed on leave, phone communications showed that Bennett told the victim that he was fired and told her to “lie to them and delete everything.” School video surveillance records show the victim crying on the phone with someone and dropping to her knees.
The principal told police that Bennett had been a teacher at the school for 27 years, and that he had received a report on Nov. 7 from a friend of the victim and her boyfriend over their concerns about the relationship between Bennett and the victim.
Other school surveillance video showed Bennett and the victim walking together in the school hallways and entering a storage closet together.
When police arrived at Bennett’s house around noon on Tuesday to execute a search warrant and arrest him, they found him in his vehicle with an overnight bag.
Police seized several electronic devices along with other items, including handwritten notes to Bennett from the victim, which are still being analyzed by police.
Bennett opted not to speak with police.
The criminal complaint noted that the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office will be opening up a tip line on the belief that there are “multiple prior victims” of Bennett’s.
Principal Reetz sent a follow-up written communication to the school community on Wednesday, acknowledging that Bennett had been charged with criminal sexual conduct and that he had resigned from his position in the district. Reetz said they are “deeply disturbed” by the news and are cooperating with Ramsey County authorities in the ongoing investigation.
After the information about Bennett’s arrest broke on Tuesday, rumors swirled on social media from multiple people claiming to have attended the school over the decades who suspected Bennett of inappropriate activity with students, and some said Bennett was “creepy” or “weird” or that he would throw parties with students. Others described that they thought he was just a “chill” teacher, while others said they were not surprised by the news.
Bennett is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Thursday afternoon. An attorney is not yet listed for Bennett in court records.
In a separate, unrelated event last month, Mounds View School Board member Jonathan Weinhagen resigned his elected position following his federal indictment on multiple fraud charges related to his prior position as CEO with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
