Kelly Schutte, 35, of Pennsburg.
A guidance counselor with Pennridge South Middle School has been charged with multiple felony counts of having sexual contact with a student.
Court records show Kelly Schutte, 35, of Pennsburg, was arraigned Friday morning on three felony counts of intercourse/sexual contact with a student, as well as a felony corruption of minors charge and three misdemeanor counts of indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old. She’s currently free on $25,000 unsecured bail, along with the stipulation that she has no contact with the victim or their family, and she must stay away from all Pennridge School District facilities.
According to the criminal complaint, Upper Perkiomen Police were contacted on July 18 by the mother of juvenile male student who alleged her son was involved in a romantic and sexual relationship with Schutte. The mother told police she received a panicked call from her son on the evening of July 17 asking to be picked up in the area of Schutte’s home in Pennsburg. Upon picking him up, the boy told his parents he was observed kissing Schutte inside her home by one of Schutte’s family members, who angrily told him to get out, police said.
The family member later signed a written statement detailing their observations, according to charging documents.
A forensic investigation by staff at the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Center revealed the boy began communicating regularly with Schutte in the fall of 2022 following a class trip, the report states. The relationship turned sexual in June and July of 2023, with sexual contact occurring at locations in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, police said.
Investigators said they uncovered numerous digital communications between the boy and Schutte via the school’s Canvas system as well as Snapchat, and they also found hand-written notes from the boy in Schutte’s office. Surveillance footage from once incident in Pennsburg also provided corroborating evidence for the boy’s account of one encounter with Schutte that occurred in July, and one of her earrings was found in the boy’s home following an encounter in June, police said.
When reached for comment, Pennridge School District provided the following statement from Superintendent Angelo Berrios:
Dear Pennridge School District Community,
I am writing to inform you that the Pennridge School District received notification from the District Attorney's Office regarding charges filed against Ms. Kelly Schutte, a staff member of South Middle School.
The district became aware of these allegations in July 2023, prompting an immediate decision to place Ms. Schutte on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Ms. Schutte is restricted from entering school district premises or having any contact with Pennridge School District students and staff. Furthermore, the Pennridge School District will not provide any additional information due to the confidentiality of this personnel matter.
We must acknowledge the significance of maintaining the privacy of the student and their family involved in this matter. While we refrain from making premature judgments about the actions of the staff member facing prosecution, it is crucial to reiterate the district's stance against any inappropriate contact between a Pennridge School District employee and a student. Such behavior will NOT be tolerated. We want to assure you that the district is fully cooperating with the District Attorney’s Office.
During this challenging time, Pennridge School District is committed to providing support for both students and staff. We understand the impact such situations can have on our community and want to assure everyone that appropriate measures are being taken.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Angelo Berrios
Superintendent, Pennridge School District
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Caroline Goldstein, and Schutte is being represented by William Buchanan, Esq.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 20 at 10:30 a.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Maureen Coggins.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
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