Tacoma middle school teacher accused of sex with 6th-grade student

TACOMA, Washington — A Tacoma middle school teacher is facing accusations of child rape after a former student came forward with claims that she molested him five years ago, according to documents obtained Monday by KIRO 7.

Keshia T. Shaw, 33, who taught at Grey Middle School, has been charged with five counts of second-degree child rape in the case, which came about after the boy told similar stories about multiple sexual encounters with Shaw to his mother and a family friend, according to the documents.

Shaw has not yet entered a plea in the case.

The boy, now 17, told police the alleged rapes occurred between April 8, 2007 and December 31, 2008. It began at the end of the boy's 6^th grade year when he was retaking an exam in Shaw's classroom, according to the documents. The boy said he noticed Shaw was not wearing underwear and that she caught him looking at her and asked him if he was turned on. He said she then took him to a room between classrooms, locked the door and had sex with him.

The two had sex again, about a week later, when the boy stayed after school, according to the documents.

The boy said the sexual contact continued into the summer, when Shaw gave him a ride home from summer school and had sex with him in his home while his mother was at work.

During the boy's 8^th grade year, while he was attending another school, he ran away from home and went to Grey Middle School to visit some friends, according to the documents. He said that while he was there, he saw Shaw and they went into a private area of her classroom and had sex. He said Shaw then drove him to a bank and withdrew $80, which she gave him. The boy said she drove him to a parking lot, where they had sex again, in the car.

The boy told his mother about the sexual encounters recently, after he heard a church sermon about molestation, according to the documents.

"The pastor said, 'If this has happened to you, you should talk about it, you should disclose it. It will set you free,' in the words of the pastor," Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist said.

He had previously told two friends about the alleged rapes, which police said was consistent with what he told his mother.

Police tried to reach Shaw on May 10, but weren’t able to and found out she had been placed on paid administrative leave.

"She was placed on administrative leave May 7, as soon as we heard of these allegations, and she is still on administrative leave," Tacoma schools spokesman Dan Voelpel said.

Shaw is scheduled to enter a plea in court on July 10.

KIRO 7's Kevin McCarty attempted to call her at her home in Puyallup, but when he asked for her, he was told he had the wrong number.

KIRO