Ex-Council Rock teacher pleads to affair with student

A former Bucks County teacher who had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from the months-long affair.

But the investigation into Robert Hawkins' case appears far from over.

As Hawkins entered his pleas, authorities said they are still determining whether other teachers broke the law by not coming forward or actively helping him cover up his crimes.

Hawkins, 43, of Newtown, pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the welfare of children, a felony, and one count of corrupting minors, a misdemeanor. The felony carries a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison.

The victim, who was not in court, had been a math student of his at Council Rock High School South in Newtown.

Beginning last fall, Hawkins began summoning the girl to his room for private tutoring, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. They started exchanging cell phone calls and text messages that grew sexually explicit.

Over the next several months, Schorn said, the girl and Hawkins repeatedly had sex at his home in Newtown. Hawkins supplied the girl with alcohol, the prosecutor said, and the two smoked marijuana together.

As Hawkins entered his plea, Schorn peppered him with questions about other teachers, but received no answers.

Schorn asked whether other teachers had known, but failed to disclose to authorities, Hawkins' relationship with the girl. She also asked whether other teachers had helped him cover up by getting rid of a marijuana pipe and a sexual device he had used in his crimes.

Hawkins refused to answer the questions, asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

"The questions were asked in the hope that he would come forward with corroborating information," Schorn said afterward. "Because it is a pending investigation, I can't get into details. We want to know what knowledge each teacher had of the situation."

Council Rock school officials said four teachers, including Hawkins, had resigned or been fired as a result of the incident.

"We had an outside counsel who did most of the work for us," Council Rock Superintendent Mark Klein said. A fifth teacher was investigated but exonerated, he said.

The relationship was discovered after two students came forward about it, Schorn said. The victim, she added, had seen e-mails on Hawkins' computer that indicated other teachers were aware of his relationship with the teen.

The girl also told authorities that Hawkins had shown her a naked photo of another student. In court today, he refused to answer when asked whether another male teacher had provided that photo to him.

"Council Rock has cooperated with us in this investigation," Schorn said. "Unfortunately, the individual teachers in this have not."