Ohio educator arrested for sexual abuse with a student which started at 14 and continued for 5 years

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the arrest of a middle school teacher and coach from Ohio over alleged sexual misconduct with a student that began when the victim was 14 and lasted for five years.

The arrest follows the victim’s report to authorities last month. On December 2, she was provided with a recording device and captured the teacher, 40-year-old Benjamin Rutan, allegedly admitting to his actions multiple times during a conversation.

Rutan, who has not entered a plea deal, was charged with two felony counts of sexual battery and one felony count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He is being held on a cash bond of $50,000 in a Franklin County jail, and no attorney representing him has been named.

The Norton Middle School in the South-Western City School District, situated just outside of Columbus, has issued a statement announcing that the teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

According to an arrest document obtained by news outlets, the first encounter between Rutan and the former student took place in June 2013 when the girl was 14 years old and Rutan was her language arts teacher and track and basketball coach.

The arrest document alleges that the two engaged in sexual contact several times a week at various locations on school property, including the teacher’s classroom, his coach’s office, and a school parking lot. The alleged contact also occurred at off-campus locations in Franklin County.

Their contact allegedly ended in 2018 when the victim was 19, as indicated in the arrest document.

The school district released a statement, saying, “Today, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, we learned one of our teachers was taken into custody by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for alleged sexual misconduct matters involving a former student. We’re working in full cooperation with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. As soon as we were made aware of the charges, the district placed the teacher on administrative leave pending an investigation. Please know that the safety and security of our students are our top priority. We thank you for your understanding and support as we work through our disciplinary and legal processes.”