A former Massachusetts middle school substitute teacher accused of sexually assaulting his own student pleaded not guilty to charges Friday morning.
Thirty-six-year-old James Henry Martin III of Woburn was charges of aggravated rape and child abuse. He has been ordered to be held on $250,000 bail and is set to be back in court next month.
Police say the Martin met the alleged victim while working as a substitute teacher at the Ottoson Middle School in Arlington. Martin left the school that year, but was allegedly still in contact with the alleged victim on Grindr, an Internet dating website for gay men.
Police say Martin arranged to meet the teen in January 2014. He's accused of bringing the child to a parking lot and sexually assaulting the victim before dropping the child off at a nearby restaurant.
A current teacher of the alleged victim overheard the teenager talking about what happened and contacted authorities.
The Arlington school superintendent says Martin voluntarily resigned in June 2013 and that the district is cooperating with the investigation. The district says they are not aware of any other inappropriate conduct involving any other children.
