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Teacher's aide allegedly had sex with exchange student on girls trip

New charges have been brought against a teacher's aide arrested earlier this year over an alleged sexual relationship with a foreign exchange student she and her husband were hosting in their home.

Kimberly Wellman-Rich, who worked for Louisiana's Lafayette Parish School System in the US, was arrested in February on charges of having sex with the student, who was 15 at the time.

She faced several charges including felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behaviour with a juvenile, while her husband, Jeffery Paul Rich, was charged as an accessory after the fact.

Both were released after posting bail, but on Monday (local time) Wellman-Rich was arrested once again, this time slapped with the same charges but by police in New Orleans, news site Nola reported.

Kimberly Wellman-Rich (left) and her husband Jeffery Rich (right).
Kimberly Wellman-Rich (left) is accused of raping a 15-year-old student. She and her husband, Jeffery Rich, were arrested in February. Source: KATC

According to court documents, she took a trip there with three girlfriends and the boy on January 15, during which she went out drinking with him and at one stage, kicked the girls out of the room to have sex with him, police alleged

Wellman-Rich was this week was booked into the New Orleans jail on the same charges she is facing in Lafayette Parish. She was released after posting $35,000 bail (A$50,000).

When Wellman-Rich and the teen returned home from the trip, Rich confronted the boy but was allegedly not as angry as the boy expected, and allowed the sexual encounters to continue, so long as it was kept secret, police claim.

Officers said the pair had sex once more after that, before an anonymous person reported their relationship to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services on January 22.

First alleged sexual encounter was 'on the boy's 16th birthday'

The boy was subsequently removed from the home by authorities and interviewed on February 4.

Wellman-Rich was arrested on February 11 and charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile - a technical term for statutory rape - as well as indecent behaviour with a juvenile, contributing to the delinquency of minors and encouraging child delinquency.

New Orleans French Quarter pictured.
Kimberly Wellman-Rich is now facing charges in New Orleans over a trip to the French Quarter (pictured) in January. Source: Getty Images

The couple began hosting the teen in August last year, and on his 16th birthday Wellman-Rich allegedly had sex with the student, who police described to have been a virgin, for the first time.

Wellman-Rich allegedly had sex with the teen multiple times in a period of seven months - on her couch, in her bed, in the guest room, and sometimes when Wellman-Rich's husband was in the next room, court documents stated.

The couple would often smoke marijuana with the student and allow him to drink alcohol, police alleged.

Wellman-Rich allegedly told her friends about the relationship, but requested the boy keep it secret.

The legal age of consent in Louisiana is 17.

If convicted of committing carnal knowledge of a juvenile, Wellman-Rich could face 10 years behind bars.

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