Who Is Lauren Harrington-Cooper? Pennsylvania Teacher Arrested Twice For Allegedly Having Sex With Students [PHOTOS]
A 31-year-old Pennsylvania teacher arrested in December for having sex with a student faces more charges for another incident involving a different student.
Lauren Harrington-Cooper, an English teacher at Wyoming Valley West High School in Plymouth, Pa., was charged with institutional sexual assault after she allegedly had sex with an 18-year-old student. On Thursday, Harrington-Cooper was met with more charges after she allegedly engaged in oral sex with a 17-year-old student in a car, the Citizen’s Voice reports.
The 17-year-old victim told police he began texting with Harrington-Cooper between October and November of last year. On one occasion he picked up Harrington-Cooper at her home in Kingston, Pa. After driving around for 90 minutes, he returned to her home and they kissed in the car. The pair communicated via text messaging. In another instance, they met outside of school where Harrington-Cooper allegedly performed oral sex on the 17-year-old in a parked car outside a house in Kingston, Pa.
Last month, Harrington-Cooper was arrested for allegedly having sex with an 18-year-old student. According to the victim’s sister, she gave her brother Harrington-Cooper’s phone number telling him that Harrington-Cooper was “hot.” The teacher allegedly performed oral sex on the student three times and had intercourse with him twice, the victim told authorities. Police say Harrington-Cooper admitted to picking up the high school senior, driving around and having intercourse twice and oral sex once in her car.
The student’s parents discovered inappropriate text messages between their son and one of the teachers at his school. The messages described a female teacher known as Lauren, who has Crohn’s disease, is a vegetarian and teaches eighth period in room 401. They informed the school’s principal who identified the teacher as Harrington-Cooper, the Times Leader reports.
Following her initial arrest, Harrington-Cooper attempted to harm herself and was under medical care. Her husband, Raphael, who co-founded a local dance studio, wrote on the company’s Facebook page on Dec. 19 that classes were canceled due to a family emergency and that he "will address all of the members of our studio as to our future” after the holidays.
On Cooper’s Facebook page, friends have offered their support since his wife’s arrest.
“I'm Here For Ya, Coop. No Matter What Happens, I Wish You The Best As The Days Go By,” Mark Lewis wrote. “Sorry about the whole mess. Hold your chin up,” another posted.
In a photo taken of the couple in August, Cooper wrote in the caption, “Loving every minute with my wonderful, beautiful wife, Lauren.”
Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts told the Scranton Times-Tribune that a victim must be under 16 for statutory sexual assault and under 18 for corruption of minors. If found guilty of institutional sexual assault, Harrington-Cooper faces a third-degree felony charge that can result in a seven-year prison sentence.
Harrington-Cooper was initially released on bail for $25,000. On Thursday she was arrested again, and bail was set at $25,000.
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