The former dean of a Philadelphia high school was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a student.
Mark Preston Williams, 56, turned himself in to police Tuesday morning.
Williams, the former dean of students at Northeast High School, is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student. He is charged with Institutional Sexual Assault of a student, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of a minor and other related offenses. He has not yet been arraigned.
Police notified the district of the allegations against Williams back on February 11, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer reports Williams was reassigned the next day to a nonschool site that students don't attend. A school district spokesman told the Inquirer that Williams will be suspended without pay.
Institutional Sexual Assault of a Student is a third degree felony that was signed into law in December of 2011. The crime makes it illegal for a teacher to have sex with a secondary school student with whom they have direct contact with regardless of the victim’s age.
Police say the case is still under investigation.
If you have any information on Williams, please call Special Victim’s Unit detectives at 215-685-3251.
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Northeast High School, located on the 1600 block of Cottman Avenue, is one of the oldest schools in the city and was founded back in 1890. With a current student population of 3,600, it is the most populated high school in Philadelphia.
