AUBURN, Maine — A former teacher from Pine Tree Academy in Freeport pleaded not guilty to 26 counts stemming from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a former 15-year-old student.
Derek Boyce, 37, appeared in Lewiston District Court Friday, Dec. 7.
An Androscoggin County grand jury had indicted Boyce on 26 charges, including gross sexual assault and sexual abuse of a minor.
Police arrested Boyce on September 21 of this year and charged him with one count of gross sexual assault. Boyce was a teacher at Pine Tree Academy in Freeport which is a Seventh-day Adventist school for grades K–12.
At the time of his arrest, Lisbon Police Chief Marc Hagan said they believed that Boyce and the student had an ongoing relationship.
”It was more than one incident. It appears to be an ongoing situation," said Chief Hagan.
According to court documents, Boyce told police his relationship with the girl began after she sustained a sports injury and had been depressed. He said they messaged each other over social media. He told police the relationship started in May, and turned sexual in July. He said they met in a park and performed oral sex on each other. Boyce told police they had sexual intercourse twice.
A spokesperson for Pine Tree Academy, Scott Christansen, told NEWS CENTER Maine in a statement that Boyce underwent a thorough background check during his hiring.
Christiansen said in the statement that Boyce was placed on administrative leave, is not allowed on campus and was told not to have contact with students. Administrators said they believed this was an isolated incident.
"On Friday, September 21, Administrators at Pine Tree Academy and leaders of the Northern New England Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which owns and operates Pine Tree Academy, became aware of a reported incident between a staff member, Derek Boyce, and a student. Mr. Boyce has been placed on administrative leave and has been instructed that he is not to be on campus or have student contact, pending the results of an investigation. Pine Tree Academy and the Northern New England Conference are cooperating with authorities as they investigate. Our current understanding is that this is an isolated incident. As ever, the safety and well-being of our students is the highest priority of Pine Tree Academy."
Boyce remains at the Androscoggin County Jail, held on $50,000 bail. He is expected to appear in court on September 21, 2019.