How a Teenager's Phone Allegedly Revealed that Middle School Teacher Was 'Obsessed with Him,' Leading to Arrest

Allison Havemann-Niedrach, 43, who was a teacher at Freehold Intermediate School, was arrested in late June

A New Jersey middle school teacher is accused of sexually abusing a student — and a prosecutor told a court that the teacher was "obsessed with" the alleged victim.

Allison Havemann-Niedrach, 43, who was a teacher at Freehold Intermediate School, was arrested in late June and is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to a news release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the release, the alleged sexual abuse began earlier in 2024.

It’s not immediately clear if Havemann-Niedrach has entered a plea. Her attorneys, Thomas Huth and William Wackowski, did not immediately return PEOPLE’s calls for comment.

According to the Asbury Park Press and Jersey Shore Online, assistant prosecutor Danielle Zanzuccki said in court on Friday, July 5, that there were allegedly 25,000 text messages between the suspect and the 15-year-old boy. (Jersey Shore Online reports that the boy's phone was turned over to authorities after a consent form was signed enabling police to search the phone during the investigation.)

According to Zanzuccki, the student told a friend he was dating Havemann-Niedrach. Another teacher told authorities that she saw the suspect "rubbing the victim’s neck and back area in a circular motion and that she appeared to be flirting with him and noticed her touching his leg," Zanzuccki claimed.

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Zanzuccki said that at one point, the boy was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation out of concern for his well-being.

"This was so much for this kid that he ended up having a mental health crisis in the middle of the investigation," she said in court, Jersey Shore Online reports.

Referencing Havemann-Niedrach, a married mother of two young children, Zanzuccki said, "I would submit that she’s obsessed with this child."

Superior Court Judge Vincent N. Falcetano ordered the suspect released from jail and placed her on home detention, according to the outlets, which report that the teacher’s husband and her parents were in court to support her.

Havemann-Niedrach has since lost her job, the Asbury Park Press reports, citing the court proceedings. The office of Freehold Borough School Superintendent Asia Michael did not immediately comment immediately, but referred PEOPLE to a statement published in media outlets that said, in part, that the "safety and well-being of our students and staff have been our top priority, and we took immediate measures to ensure their protection."

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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