WAUWATOSA, Wis. — A former teacher at Pilgrim Lutheran School in Wauwatosa was recently charged after prosecutors say she had sex with a then 13-year-old student and bought him a gun.
Tyesha Bolden, 34 of Brown Deer, was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 and providing a dangerous weapon to a person under 18.
On July 25, the mother of a 14-year-old boy reported to police that her son took a relative's car and was missing, according to a criminal complaint. She said her son might be at his 8th-grade teacher's home and suspected they had a sexual relationship. The complaint says the mother went through her son's phone and saw the two were exchanging explicit photos.
An employee at Pilgrim Lutheran School said on July 27 she confronted Bolden about her relationship with the victim. Bolden allegedly admitted to the boy staying at her home and allowed the employee to go through their text messages. Bolden was terminated that day.
On July 28, the victim was stopped by West Allis police while driving. A Glock and his phone were seized. The firearm was discovered to be purchased by Bolden on June 17.
During an interview with police, the teen told a detective he met Bolden in October of 2022 when she became his 8th-grade teacher. Shortly before June 2023, the teen asked Bolden to pick him and they drove to a high school in Milwaukee. However, the complaint says they became nervous since the school was so close to Milwaukee Police Department District #4. Instead, they went to a wooded area in Brown Deer and had sex.
The complaint says the victim asked Bolden to buy him a gun and she gave it to him for his 14th birthday at his aunt's home. He said their relationship ended on July 21 when he wanted another firearm and money. Bolden allegedly came to Mayfair Mall to meet him and gave him $1,000 but refused to buy another gun. She then stopped speaking to him.
A search of the victim's phone revealed he and Bolden exchanged over 2,200 messages between May 23 and July 24. An officer read the text messages, which included Bolden and the teen saying they loved each other, and Bolden saying, "I want to see you as often as possible and the rest will just happen."
The complaint says many of the conversations corroborated the boy's statement.
If convicted of both charges, Bolden faces a maximum of 40 years in prison.
Correction: She's a former teacher at Pilgrim Lutheran School, not Pilgrim Lutheran Church.
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