The Davis County Courts Complicated in Farmington is pictured on Friday, March 19, 2021. A Davis Faculty District psychologist is accused of allegedly sharing a pupil’s private info earlier than the psychologist’s husband allegedly raped the scholar. Steve Griffin, Deseret Information
A Davis Faculty District elementary college psychologist on administrative depart since August now faces a misdemeanor cost after investigators say she disclosed a pupil's private info that will have led to the scholar's rape.
Natalie Stokes, 39, of South Weber, was charged Monday with one rely of unauthorized amassing, sharing or use of personal pupil knowledge, a category A misdemeanor, in keeping with on-line courtroom information.
Charging paperwork say Stokes' cost is linked to the case towards her husband, 41-year-old Phillip Brandon Stokes, who was arrested and charged final August with a slew of felonies. Phillip Stokes faces 13 felony counts in Farmington's 2nd District Courtroom, together with 5 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a kid, two counts of rape of a kid and two counts of sodomy on a baby — all first-degree felonies — amongst different prices.
Phillip Stokes additionally faces prices in Utah's federal courtroom, consisting of single counts of manufacturing of kid pornography, coercion and enticement, in keeping with federal courtroom information.
In early 2021, members of the Davis County Sheriff's Workplace and the FBI opened an investigation into somebody they solely knew as "Christian," charging paperwork state. In March, police say that "Christian" started contacting an 11-year-old lady over TikTok, and by July, "Christian" informed the lady to textual content him on one other app. Inside three hours of a dialog starting, "'Christian' started to aggressively and persistently ask (the lady) for nude pictures of herself," charging paperwork state. The lady despatched photographs, in keeping with the charging paperwork, whereas "Christian" then despatched photographs of his genitals and different sexually specific photographs.
The textual content messages, which have been reviewed by police, present that on the identical July day, "Christian" persuaded the lady to satisfy him at a park. Judging from the messages, police consider the 2 had a brief preliminary assembly at a park, however had a second, longer assembly on the park the identical day.
"Within the chats, 'Christian' made a number of feedback acknowledging that sexual exercise occurred throughout this second encounter," charging paperwork say.
Police analyzed the photographs from "Christian" within the textual content messages and famous in charging paperwork that one picture included the person sporting a T-shirt that had "a novel graphic and phrases on it." Investigators later discovered the profile info for the account, they usually found the account was accessed utilizing a selected IP tackle, which they traced to Phillip Stokes, and Stokes' tackle on his driver's license matched that of the tackle from the web supplier, charging paperwork state.
Investigators allege that a picture that Stokes posted on social media featured him sporting an equivalent T-shirt with the distinctive graphic seen within the sexually specific photographs despatched to the lady.
Phillip Stokes agreed to talk with police following his arrest on Aug. 2. He allegedly informed police that he was behind the "Christian" persona and that he despatched the nude photographs whereas soliciting photographs from the lady. Phillip Stokes additionally admitted to sexually abusing the lady on two events, in keeping with charging paperwork.
Throughout his interview with police, Phillip Stokes informed police that he got here to know the lady as a result of his spouse, Natalie Stokes, was the lady's counselor at an elementary college, in keeping with charging paperwork in Natalie Stokes' case.
Police say he informed them his spouse had talked about there was a woman having issues on the college, who had gotten into hassle, and he later realized that lady was on TikTok.
"I assume it began as simply curiosity like ... I wanna see what that's all about. And so ... I regarded up her movies and the remainder," Phillip Stokes informed police, in keeping with charging paperwork.
He had created his personal TikTok account and looked for the lady "utilizing the data he acquired completely from" his spouse, charging paperwork state.
Previous to the assaults, Phillip Stokes informed police that he and Natalie Stokes have been strolling within the neighborhood when Natalie Stokes pointed to the lady and "personally recognized her because the lady she had been working with as a college psychologist," charging paperwork state.
On the identical day as Phillip Stokes' interview with police, officers executed a search warrant on the Stokes' house. Earlier than the search, police spoke with Natalie Stokes and talked about the lady's title. Charging paperwork state Natalie Stokes was shocked and informed police she was the lady's psychologist in school. Officers requested if she had talked about the lady's title to Phillip Stokes, and Natalie Stokes then informed police, "I've used her title. So he is aware of," the fees state.
Throughout a follow-up cellphone interview, police requested Natalie Stokes concerning the time she allegedly pointed the lady out to Phillip Stokes whereas strolling in a neighborhood. Natalie informed police that the lady was driving her bike and stated howdy to her, then she informed her husband it was the lady she had talked about who was stepping into hassle in school, charging paperwork state.
Prosecutors allege that Natalie Stokes, a licensed college psychologist since 2007, has signed three separate paperwork relating to "privateness of pupil info" — in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Stokes allegedly acknowledged within the paperwork that she is obligated to maintain pupil info confidential in accordance with federal and state legal guidelines, in addition to with the Davis County Faculty District. The alleged misuse of pupil info serves as the premise of her cost.
In a press release on Tuesday, the Davis Faculty District stated it had positioned Natalie Stokes on paid administrative depart in August, instantly after the district was notified of the police investigation. She is prohibited from contacting college students and workers whereas the case is ongoing.
With the cost now filed, the district is "transferring in direction of termination," in keeping with the assertion.
"The Davis Faculty District's aim all through this course of has been to guard college students, and it'll go to nice lengths to do this," the district stated. "It has additionally labored with regulation enforcement representatives for months whereas the investigation continued."
Natalie Stokes started working for the varsity district in 2003 as a instructor assistant for a half-year. She later labored as a college psychologist in 2007 and 2009, and she or he was later employed as a part-time college psychologist in 2017. She started as a full-time college psychologist in 2019 at an elementary college.
As of Wednesday, Natalie Stokes was not in police custody. Courtroom information present a proposed summons to look in courtroom, although no courtroom date is listed on-line.
Phillip Stokes is being held with out bail on the Davis County Jail, the place he has been since his Aug. 2 arrest, in keeping with jail reserving information. Phillip Stokes entered not responsible pleas in his federal and state instances in August and November, respectively.