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Last updated on Saturday, November 17, 2012
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The former chief operations officer for Wayne Township Schools faces child seduction charges amid accusations he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.
Kara Kenney of TheIndyChannel.com reported, a warrant was issued Friday for the arrest of John R. Maples, 61, on seven felony counts of child seduction.
Police began investigating in July, when a former Ben Davis High School student came forward alleging that she and Maples had a sexual relationship beginning when she was a 16-year-old junior and working on the district's grounds crew.
The girl told police she first met Maples during a class trip in May 2009. That June, he called her to offer her a job mowing grass for the district, she said.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the girl said the relationship turned sexual in early spring 2010, when she was a 17-year-old senior at Ben Davis.
The girl said she and Maples kissed and engaged in sexual acts several times at his home and in his truck.
But when she tried to end the relationship that summer, the girl said Maples was upset and would often come to the grounds crew's office when she was working and would watch her mow grass from his yard next to the high school.
According to the affidavit, the girl went to school administrators with the allegations in November 2010, prompting an internal investigation.
When he was interviewed by the district's head of personnel, Maples said he was "shocked" by the allegations, and insisted, "I did not do that," according to the affidavit.
Maples retired from his position shortly after the interview.
He has since refused to speak with police about the allegations, according to the affidavit.
Maples had not been taken into custody as of Friday evening.
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