Crime & Safety

Former Newton Teacher Held on $100K Bail for Sexual Assault Charges

David Ettlinger was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court, the second indictment for the former Underwood Elementary School teacher.

A former Newton elementary school teacher facing numerous child pornography and sexual assault charges was held on $100,000 cash bail at his arraignment today in Suffolk Superior Court.

David Ettlinger, 34, pleaded not guilty to six sexual assault charges stemming from two separate incidents out of Suffolk County. The charges include:

  • Aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 (two counts)
  • Posing a child in the state of nudity (two counts)
  • Secretly photographing a nude or semi-nude person (two counts)

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, three of the indictment charges stem from a May 15, 2009 incident where Ettlinger allegedly recorded himself fondling a girl's buttocks and genitals while she slept.

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The three other charges are tied to a similar, but separate, Dec. 5, 2009 incident where Ettlinger allegedly recorded himself undressing a girl while she slept. 

Assistant District Attorney David Deakin requested $110,000 cash bail; the amount was a cumulative of the and the . 

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The Suffolk County clerk magistrate settled on $100,000 cash bail Thursday morning, $1 million surety. If Ettlinger posts bail, he is ordered to not have any contact with the victims or persons under the age of 18. 

However, Deakin pointed out that if Ettlinger posts bail in Massachusetts, he will subsequently be arraigned on federal charges out of Louisiana. Ettlinger faces those federal charges due to his involvement with the online child pornography site known as "Dreamboard."

Deakin could not comment on details surrounding the two 2009 incidents, only that both victims were under the age of 14. 

Ettlinger's attorney Greg Johnson declined comment outside the courtroom.

A trial date for Ettlinger was set for Dec. 10, 2012. He is due back in court for a pretrial conference on April 13. 

This is the second indictment for Ettlinger, .

 and arraigned in Brighton District Court on multiple counts of possession of child pornography. He was arraigned on Jan. 18 in West Roxbury District Court for indecent assault and battery charges.

Authorities in Suffolk County allege that during the Jan. 17 raid of Ettlinger's apartment, officials found videos showing two children who Ettlinger allegedly assaulted and secretly filmed the abuse. Ettlinger had been charged with offenses against one of the victims; the second was identified during the course of the grand jury investigation, the DA's office said. 

The victims were not Ettlinger's students, but are known to investigators, the DA's office said. 

On Feb. 8, Ettlinger was indicted in Middlesex County and subsequently arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court for charges related to a girl he allegedly assaulted while babysitting. 

Earlier this week, news broke that while working at Underwood Elementary School. The photographs were reportedly non-pornographic and Ettlinger will therefore not face criminal charges for the pictures. 

Ettlinger taught in the Newton Public Schools for 12 years, at both  and  Elementary. . 


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