BCPS teacher denied bail after he was arrested on child sex abuse charges

By Tori Yorgey

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    WHITE MARSH, Md. (WBAL) — A Perry Hall High School teacher was denied bail in court Thursday after he was arrested on child sex abuse charges.

Charging documents obtained by 11 News on Thursday detail several accusations about alleged incidents between Sean Brooks, 40, of Harford County, and three female students.

Brooks is a Perry Hall High School gym and health teacher.

The students told detectives they were assigned to write about challenges or issues in their lives for Brooks’ class in the 2022-23 school year. The victims wrote about issues with their fathers. After the assignment, the students’ relationship with Brooks began to build the next couple of years, the victims told police.

“The first juvenile victim student described that almost every time she saw Suspect Brooks he would put his hands on her thigh, rub her thigh, or smack her thigh. They would hug all the time,” court documents stated.

Victims told police Brooks would touch and hug them inappropriately and also inappropriately talk with them about their bodies and sexual activities. Brooks would discuss relations he had with his wife with the students, according to court documents.

One student told police there was a time when Brooks took her down to an office-like room, locking the door behind them:

“Second juvenile victim student recalled feeling trapped. Suspect Brooks then whispered in her ear that he was also there for her, and she was ‘so beautiful’ and ‘perfect.’ Brooks then tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her on the neck twice before hugging her again. Brooks then turned her around to face him and kissed her on her forehead and said she was his favorite,” charging documents read.

The school’s principal told police a teacher had emailed her a photo of Brooks standing behind a female student with his hands on his shoulders. The teacher also added that several students approached her with concerns about Brooks:

“They reported that they feel Suspect Brooks is inappropriate with female students and talked about how they overheard Suspect Brooks telling female students they are ‘hot,’ a ’10/10,’ and that they observed him touching students, (rubbing/massaging) shoulders. These students were ninth graders at Perry Hall High School,” court documents allege.

Brooks told detectives he would allow students to use his classroom during lunch and off period to talk with him about curriculum or things going on at home, according to documents.

“In summarization, Suspect Brooks sexually exploited the female juvenile students on multiple occasions. He groomed each of the juvenile victim students and was grooming other juvenile female students, as well as took advantage of each of the juvenile victims based off of their stories of their fathers. Given this information, Suspect Brooks not only committed multiple sex offenses, but was escalating his behavior to potential rape of these victims given the opportunity,” charging documents stated.

Brooks went before a judge for his bail review hearing. Brooks’ attorney said his client has been on administrative leave and has not gone anywhere near Perry Hall High School since the investigation began. Brooks also denied the allegations against him and his attorney argued the sexual conduct Brooks is being accused of is “essentially hugging.”

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