A former Ponaganset High School teacher accused of sexual misconduct involving a student has been indicted by a grand jury.
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General, on Friday, the Providence County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging 39-year-old Alisha Crins with two counts of third-degree sexual assault.
The alleged acts occurred in the City of Cranston on days and dates between April 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024. The Rhode Island State Police conducted the investigation.
Crins is a former gym teacher at Ponaganset High School in Foster-Glocester. She previously worked in the North Smithfield School District and was also involved as a program instructor for the school's Health & Fitness/EMT Career and Technical Education program.
Crins, who resigned from her job last fall, is accused of sexually assaulting a former student who graduated last spring and filed a complaint with the Rhode Island State Police in the fall, as previously reported.
According to NRI Now, the student stated that Crins, his Physical Education teacher when he was a sophomore, began sending him flirty text messages, which escalated to exchanging nude photos and videos after he turned 18.
She was reportedly married at the time of the initial contact but is now divorced. The relationship allegedly came to light when the student's girlfriend discovered the messages. The two reportedly kissed but never had sex.
According to Rhode Island state law, any person 18 or older "who is acting in place of a parent or guardian" and is responsible for a child, and "engaged in sexual penetration with another person over the age of 14 years and under the age of consent, 16 years of age" has committed third-degree sexual assault. The law also says that when the victim is under age 18 and "the accused is otherwise acting in a position of authority" and has "engaged in sexual penetration or sexual contact," third-degree sexual assault has been committed.
Crins is scheduled for arraignment on March 18th in Providence County Superior Court and is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on May 13th.
