Gym Teacher Charged with Sex Assault After Alleged Grooming of Teen Student
Alisha Crins, a 39-year-old physical education teacher, has been charged with sexual assault in Glocester, Rhode Island, after police allege she engaged in inappropriate conduct with a teenage student. According to charging documents, Crins admitted to kissing and sexting the boy but denies any sexual intercourse occurred.
Allegations of Grooming and Explicit Content
Investigators report that Crins first noticed the teen when he was a sophomore in her class at Ponaganset High School. She allegedly found his phone number online and began sending flirty messages, which escalated to naked photos and videos. The student told detectives that Crins kissed him twice and sexually straddled him in the back of his car.
Crins confessed to sending the explicit material and the kissing incidents, claiming they were "never physical" beyond that. However, police say discussions about future sexual encounters took place between them.
Details from the Affidavit
The affidavit states that Crins initiated contact by complimenting the boy's appearance and asking to wear his sweatshirt. She then "proceeded to ask him for a kiss" and provided her address. When the teen arrived, she allegedly jumped into his vehicle parked on a side street.
"I can't believe I'm going to do this ... You can't tell anybody," Crins reportedly said before grabbing the teen's face and kissing him for nearly 15 minutes. Following this, she bombarded him with texts praising his kissing skills and expressing obsession with his lips.
Weeks later, she invited him back and allegedly straddled him in the back seat, engaging in sexual contact. The boy showed police sexy snapshots and videos of Crins in lingerie sent when he was 17, as well as nude content after he turned 18.
Relationship Termination and Legal Proceedings
Crins eventually ended the relationship, citing her role as his teacher and her marital status. She is scheduled for arraignment on March 18, 2026.
Similar Cases Highlight Global Issue
This incident mirrors other teacher misconduct cases worldwide. In Australia, former teacher Tayla Lee Brailey, 32, pleaded guilty to offences including sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old under special care and transmitting child abuse material. She will be sentenced on March 26.
In Canada, Alberta teacher Catherine Valiquette was granted full parole in February after serving 16 months of a four-year sentence for a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student. The Parole Board considers her a low reoffending risk, with conditions including no contact with boys under 16, except her own children.
Valiquette cited a history of childhood abuse and diagnoses of bipolar disorder, PTSD, and other mental health conditions as contributing factors.
