Police: Teacher sent love letters to boy
Euless woman, arrested in June, denies sexual assault allegation
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
While attending a Christian summer camp, a 13-year-old boy received three letters from a Euless woman confessing her love for him.
Dawn Reiser, 29, a Grapevine teacher, wrote the letters to her student on colorful stationery with hearts, police said. Inside one of the letters, she included a photo of herself.
"The letters appeared to be love letters to the victim," said Colleyville police Detective Hillary Wreay in a search warrant affidavit released this week.
Police also said that the former teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic School wanted to marry the boy when he turns 18.
Mrs. Reiser was arrested in June on allegations she sexually assaulted the student. She was released from jail after posting a $150,000 bond. She has been suspended from Holy Trinity without pay, church officials said. Her attorney said Mrs. Reiser denies the allegations.
According to police records, the boy said he and the teacher had sex several times at the teacher's home in June. A week earlier, the two fondled each other at a park in Colleyville, police said.
On June 24 police seized 11 erotic products and sheets of flowery stationery from Mrs. Reiser's home.
Her attorney, Sam Cammack, said his client is stunned by allegations she sexually assaulted a student.
"She doesn't believe that there's been any inappropriate behavior with any of her students, much less the victim," Mr. Cammack said.
"She has been an exceptional teacher – the consummate professional, respected by her peers. There is nothing in her background to suggest she would do something like this," Mr. Cammack said.
He said the items seized from Mrs. Reiser's home are common and that she cooperated with police during their investigation. He said he has not seen the letters but that Mrs. Reiser wrote to all of her students during the summer break.
Police said she asked the student to destroy the letters after reading them. Instead, the boy turned the letters over to camp officials, who contacted authorities.
It is not clear if the boy is enrolled at Holy Trinity, where Mrs. Reiser taught religion and English.
If convicted, Mrs. Reiser could face a life sentence, said Assistant Tarrant County District Attorney Mitch Poe.
"I will be bringing this to a grand jury next week," Mr. Poe said.
The diocese has launched an internal investigation and expanded its procedures for reporting sexual abuse, said Jeff Hensley, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.
Church officials say safeguards and screenings had been in place at Holy Trinity.
Mrs. Reiser, who taught at the school four years, had completed training in a child sexual abuse program and had undergone a criminal background check.
What is this world coming to?
Sick, sick, sick....
