GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A Grand Rapids Catholic Central teacher fired in 2022 faces felony charges linked to accusations he had sex with a teenage student, court documents show.
Nicholas Coe Young, 26, faces three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for sex with a student under 18 years of age, according to the Kent County affidavit for the case. The felony charge comes with a maximum 15 years in prison, according to Michigan law.
Young was fired for providing alcohol to minors in spring 2022. The accusations of underage sex span from August 2022 to December 2023, after the allegations that got him fired, the affidavit shows.
The school had “no evidence to suggest that any improper activities happened while this individual was an employee or on school property,” according to a statement from Annalise Laumeye, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.
The boy victim was “taken advantage of and sexually assaulted” by Young, according to the boy’s mother who per the affidavit contacted Grand Rapids police this March.
“The victim reports feeling manipulated by Nicholas and reported not always wanting to engage in physical sex acts with him but felt used and that Nicholas only wanted sex from the victim,” according to the affidavit.
Young was charged in early April in Kent County Circuit Court and was released on a $200,000 bond, records show. A message left with his attorney did not receive a response.
The boy’s mother said that Young took advantage of her son, while the son told detectives in his interview that the two established a bond on social media before beginning a sexual relationship, the affidavit shows.
The boy’s parents attempted to confront Young about exchanges of sexually graphic text messages and photos, but the relationship ended anyways until it began again nine months later, the affidavit shows. The mother contacted Young’s new employer and fiancé when she discovered the relationship started again, the affidavit shows.
The boy said he ended up feeling manipulated by Young, the affidavit shows.
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