Against All Enemies Foreign and Domestic

Example Nine

Teacher Arrested in Sexual Assault Charges
 

(June 7) -- Cornelius Ausborne appeared in court Thursday morning for his 72 hour hearing.  He's accused of having sex with two female students at Grant Sawyer Middle School and police believe there may be more victims.

So far, police know Ausborne molested two girls while he was a substitute teacher at Grant Sawyer Middle School. A 14-year-old girl claims Ausborne had sex with her in a classroom. Another girl, who is 13-year-old, told police Ausborne came to her home after school and had sex with her.

Ausborne has been a substitute teacher in the Clark County School District for the past two years. District officials say he taught at dozens of valley schools. That's why police want parents and school children to look at his picture.  They want to know if there are other victims.

(June 6) - A teacher has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two female middle school students and one of the assaults may have happened at school. Cornelius Ausborne has been a substitute teacher for two years and police believe he may have more victims out there.

The school district fired Ausborne on May 4th after they first heard of these allegations.

Parents send their children to school everyday thinking they will be safe from the ills of the world. But it was actually inside a classroom at Grant Sawyer Middle School that police say 29-year-old Cornelius Ausborne had sex with a 13-year-old girl last month.

Months earlier police say he also had sex with another 14-year-old girl at her home after school. Metro's Jeff Carlson said, "We have two victims here, so yes there could be other victims out there."

"It kind of wakes me up. It makes me more aware of what is going on around here," said Robert Lawrey, father of a student at the school. Lawry's son Matthew had Ausborne as a substitute teacher last year. "I liked him. He was all right. But I never knew he would do anything like that," Matthew said.

Neither did Lina Gutierrez who hires teachers for the Clark County School District. "You have to understand we take children very seriously," she commented.

Gutierrez says Ausborne and all substitute teachers undergo the same extensive background checks as full time teachers. "The background check is fingerprint. And the fingerprint is not just locally. But also FBI fingerprint," she explained.

But without a prior conviction, the school district has no way of knowing if a teacher poses a threat to children. That is why police suggest child never be left alone with an adult. "Have other people around -- other adults, kids, it should be in a group setting."

Police want you to speak with your children about if they've ever had inappropriate contact with Ausborne. If you suspect they have, you are encouraged to call Metro's sexual assault unit at 229-3421.

Ausborne is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on $44,000 bail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday morning. He is currently charged with three counts of statutory sexual seduction, two counts of sexual assault with a minor and one count of sexual misconduct.