A gym and health teacher at Salem Academy Charter School is facing criminal charges after police say he made plans to meet an 14-year-old girl for a sexual encounter, without knowing he was communicating with an undercover cop.
Darren Benedick, 42, of Salem, was arraigned in Newburyport District Court on Wednesday following the sting operation by police who had been monitoring a “teens-only” chat room.
In a press release, investigating authorities said they have no allegations that any students at Salem Academy Charter School were subject to the misconduct.
Law enforcement claims the man engaged in online conversations with the undercover officer “expressing a desire to meet in person and engage in sexual activities, to have sent an obscene image to the officer, and to have described the sex acts that he wished to perform.”
A meeting between Benedick and who he thought was a 14-year-old girl was set for Wednesday, and upon arrival, he was taken into custody by Newbury Police with assistance from Salem Police. Benedick is charged with one count of child enticement and one count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors.
At Benedick’s arraignment, a judge set bail set at $5,000. He was given orders of GPS monitoring, home confinement and no contact with children.
