Wisconsin assistant teacher charged with sexual assault of 9-year-old disabled girl

From WITI-TV:

RACINE, Wis. — Racine Assistant Teacher Lewis Givens is responsible for the safety of children is in jail for violating that trust. He's accused of fondling a 9-year-old mentally disabled girl.

35-year-old Givens is charged with two counts of 1st Degree Child Sex Assault, and two counts of Sexual Assault of a Child by a person who works or volunteers with children.

He was a teacher assistant at Olympia Brown Elementary School. Cynthia Krauss' 5-year-old daughter goes to the same school Givens taught at. She says, "It's heartbreaking. How can people do something so terrible, traumatic to to the kids. They're supposed to be teaching, not putting their hands on the kids and you know causing them harm and violence."

The criminal complaint says on two occasions the mentally challenged girl came and leaned against Givens for a hug. His response was to touch her in the genital area.

In each case he was seen by a teacher, but apparently no action was taken until after the second incident. Racine Unified School District Rep Stacy Tapp says, "We do have district policy, and of course there is the state mandate reporter policy that requires that district staff report incidents, any incidents of abuse or inappropriate conduct."

Givens Attorney asked for a five thousand dollar cash bond saying Givens is not a flight risk. He said, "He's lived here for 35 years. He owns a home here. he has been married for 14 and a half years. All his family members live here. He does have two minor children."

There was a third incident reported at the Caledonia school that Givens inappropriately touched the same 9-year-old girl in December of 2010. He has yet to be charged for that incident. If convicted on all charges Givens faces up to 132 years in prison.