A suspended Montgomery County high school math teacher who allegedly admitted to having sex with a student and sending him explicit phone messages is set to be in court today.
Erica Ann Ginnetti, 33, surrendered to authorities last month after allegations arose that the Lower Moreland High School teacher and married mother of three had sex with a 17-year-old male student over the summer.
On Friday afternoon, Ginnetti is set to be in Magisterial Court for a preliminary hearing on a slew of charges including having sex with a student, corrupting a minor and disseminating explicit material to a minor, according to court documents.
Ginnetti allegedly sexted the student as well, according to investigators.
A video sent to NBC10 through a third party shows a woman removing a bikini top and tight pants. NBC10 confirmed the video was sent to the 17-year-old student. However, officials have not confirmed whether the video came from Ginnetti.
NBC10 called prosecutors and went to Lower Moreland Police for comment. No one would talk about the video or any other details in the case however. Ginnetti’s defense attorney also told NBC10 he could not comment on the striptease video because he had not seen it.
According to Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, the relationship between Ginnetti and the student began in May when Ginnetti approached the boy at prom and asked him if he would like to work out at her gym. A few days later the boy allegedly emailed Ginnetti and she replied with her cell phone number.
Ferman said that after that the two communicated on a daily basis over several months. During that time, investigators say that Ginnetti sent a series of sexually-charged messages, including videos of her undressing and performing sex acts on herself as well as “sexually-suggestive” photos of Ginnetti in her underwear and a bikini.
Investigators say the two met up at a coffee shop in July in Northeast Philadelphia. From there they went to a nearby industrial park and had sex in Ginnetti's car, according to the police report. Ginnetti then drove the teen back to the coffee shop, investigators say, and asked him not to tell anyone about the incident.
According to investigators, Ginnetti admitted to having sex with the teenage boy.
Lower Moreland police said they were tipped off via a phone line used for reporting possible abuses against children. The caller left a message saying they'd overhead students at the school talking about "inappropriate pictures of the minor and the teacher doing 'sexual things.'" Police then approached the 17-year-old who they say gave them a detailed account of how the relationship began and then evolved.
It isn't clear what details could come out in court Friday. An earlier preliminary hearing was continued.
Ginnetti was arraigned on Jan. 24 on 13 counts and released after posting $50,000 unsecured bail, according to court records.
As part of her bail conditions, Ginnetti is not permitted to have contact with any children except for her own kids -- ages 8, 11 and 14. She also surrendered her passport and has been electronically monitored.
According to her teaching page, Ginnetti taught AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Calculus and Honor Algebra at Lower Moreland.
The District says Ginnetti was suspended without pay and will be fired.
An attorney representing the district also told NBC10 that the school is concerned about the video and any photos that may have been shared by students. He said the district would examine the school computer hardware system to determine if any of the materials were shared on school owned equipment but that there is little the district can do beyond that, especially if the images are being shared on personal devices.
Photo Credit: NBC10.com - Deanna Durante