New Miami teacher pleads guilty to sex charges involving students

In the spring of 2014, a former New Miami High School teacher had sex with an 18-year-old student at his Trenton home, sent sexually explicit messages to a 16-year-old girl and hampered the investigation by telling the victims to erase social media and cellphone contacts with him, according to prosecutors.

On Thursday, Justin Madden entered guilty pleas in Butler County Common Pleas Court to four felony charges involving both girls, who were students where he was a teacher.

Justin Madden, 29, was charged with two counts of sexual battery, two counts of illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented material or performance, pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, obstructing justice, tampering with evidence and three counts of obstructing justice, a fifth-degree felony.

Madden pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery, pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and obstructing justice and tampering with evidence and the remaining charges were merged. He faces up to 10½ years in prison. Madden was also declared a Tier III sex offender, which will require him register his residence with his local sheriff’s office every 90 days for the rest of his life.

His sentencing is set for 10:30 a.m. April 16.

Before entering the guilty pleas, Madden told Judge Keith Spaeth that he understood all his rights, noting he used to teach government. Madden is a Fairfield High School and Miami University graduate, according to his defense attorney Nicholas Gramam.

According to the bill of particulars filed earlier this month, the sexual conduct occurred between April 1 and May 28. Between June 1 and Aug. 31, Madden sent messages to a student stating he wanted to sexually penetrate her and other sex acts.

When the Butler County Sheriff’s Office investigation began, Madden asked the girl to “deny her relationship with him, which she did to investigators,” according to the court documents.

In September, Madden told the one of the girls to “delete me from Facebook, your phone Snapchat pics all of it … erase my number or anything you got that ties back to me please and thank you.”

Spaeth revoked Madden’s $200,000 bond.

Gramam said after the hearing that Madden did not have sexual contact with the 16-year-old and charges would not have been filed concerning the 18-year-old had he not been a teacher.

“He wants to move on with his life,” Gramam said.

In September, the school district contacted the sheriff’s office about allegations of inappropriate communication with a female student. He was placed on administrative leave at that time.

According to the sheriff’s office, Madden has not been back in the classroom.

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