SEATTLE, Wash. — Gregory Ward, a private tutor hired by Seattle Public Schools to teach math at a local middle school, pled not guilty Thursday after being arrested for second-degree rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
Ward was a tutor who served as a City Year program manager at Aki Kurose Middle School and South Shore Pre K-8. According to charging documents, on Dec. 30, Ward sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl who he tutored.
Ward was arrested on Jan. 2.
Investigators say he tutored the student for months and the two had a sexting relationship.
Prosecutors say it came to an end when the victim’s mother caught him groping her outside a restaurant. According to charging documents, the man is charged with raping her inside that same business.
A victim advocate read the family’s victim impact statement at the hearing.
In their statement, the family said that they were deeply hurting as they now must watch their child try to come to terms with Ward’s actions and comprehend the nightmare that is now her and her family’s reality.
The family agreed with the protection order brought against Ward, concerned that he might try to contact their daughter. They added that Ward should remain in custody for the family’s protection.
The prosecutor asked the court to maintain the $250K bail. If bail is met, the prosecution argued that Ward should have electronic home monitoring, no contact with all minors, and no internet usage without a monitoring device.
The defense team objected to the bail amount and the judge stated that he did not think $250K bail was high enough, but was not allowed to raise it. The judge maintained Ward’s bail at $250K, along with the prosecution’s restrictions.
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