'Obsessed' teacher charged with sexually assaulting her teenage pupil

An "obsessed" teacher has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage pupil who she "begged" for a relationship.

Melissa Bonkoski was arrested after the 16-year-old boy complained of receiving "harassing" messages from the 38-year-old.

The earth sciences teacher at Owen J Roberts High School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, used a prepaid "burner" mobile phone because she thought it would prevent police tracing the texts back to her.

Ms Bonkoski is alleged to have allowed the teenager to touch her breasts, kiss her, and sleep in her bed, reported the Daily Local.

The pair are said to have discussed oral sex but did not carry it out.

The pupil told police he tried to cut off contact with the teacher but she continued to call and text him.

In a message sent in March, she wrote: "Whatever you do, please don’t shut me out. I’m begging you."

She initially messaged the pupil about schoolwork while he was in her class in 2015, according to papers filed by Chester County detectives

But her texts became more frequent and personal and in 2016 she began giving the teen lifts home.

The boy, who has not been named, told police he was upset because he had "cheated" on his girlfriend with Ms Bonkoski by kissing her on more than one occasion. He said he was "in shock" because "never thought he would kiss a teacher".

“He was worried that he wouldn’t get rides home anymore if he stopped kissing her," the court documents said.

They added: "When the victim stopped talking to her, she started to ‘bombard’ him with memories of him visiting her classroom."

Ms Bonkoski told a police officer she "thought she was being smart" using a prepaid phone. But investigators linked the device to the teacher and she was she was arrested last week.

She was charged with three counts of institutional sexual assault, three counts of unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility.

Ms Bonkoski resigned from her teaching job after the school learned of the allegations.

The teacher​ was bailed after posting the $80,000 (£62,000) bond herself.

She appeared at South Coventry District Court for a preliminerary hearing Thursday.