Teacher accused of having relationship with student sentenced to 5 years of probation

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A Lowcountry middle school teacher accused of having a relationship with a student has been sentenced to 5 years of probation.

The attorney general’s office said Allison Chilton was sentenced to ten years suspended to five years of probation after a judge accepted her guilty plea to the charges of criminal solicitation of a minor and third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

In addition, a permanent restraining order was granted for the minor victim, and Chilton was also placed on the sex offender registry with active GPS monitoring.

Chilton was a language arts and math teacher at Oakbrook Middle School, according to the school’s website. She was originally charged in January of 2018, and resigned from her teaching position in Dorchester District 2.

The charges stem from an investigation when the 12-year-old victim’s father told authorities he suspected there was a relationship between the two. Dorchester County deputies say the father told them he believed the relationship started when his daughter was in the seventh grade and was being taught by Chilton.

Court documents state Chilton intended to persuade and entice the victim into sexual activity in 2017. The victim stated she exchanged text messages with Chilton in reference to having a sexual relationship, an affidavit stated.

The relationship came to light when the victim’s father requested a report be done at the sheriff’s office after he found proof of the alleged relationship according to the incident report.

The student’s father showed investigators text messages apparently sent by Chilton to the girl.

Investigators said one read, “I want to be your wife,” and the other read, “I want to hold you.”

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