A former New Jersey middle school teacher has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sex crimes against a student that occurred over a span of roughly six months, according to authorities.
Allison Havemann-Niedrach, 45, was accused of grooming and sexually assaulting an eighth grade student, then 15, with whom prosecutors argued she had been “obsessed,” the Asbury Park Press reported.
The sexual abuse started in January 2024 before Havemann-Niedrach was arrested that June, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. She used to teach at Freehold Intermediate School.
“The conduct involved near-constant contact with her victim via many thousands of text messages,” the prosecutor’s office said in a Monday, August 31, news release.
At Havemann-Niedrach’s sentencing on Friday, August 28, she was ordered to serve at least 85 percent of her 12-year sentence before she could be eligible for parole, according to prosecutors.
Before she learned her sentence, the teen she was accused of assaulting and his mother spoke in the courtroom.
The teen said the abuse he endured was “like a nightmare,” according to the Asbury Park Press.
“For two or three years, I thought it was my fault,” he said, adding that he forgives Havemann-Niedrach.
In court, Havemann-Niedrach said: “I apologize profusely for my actions,” per the newspaper.
Havemann-Niedrach pleaded guilty in January to first-degree aggravated sexual assault, prosecutors said.
While referring to the teen and addressing Havemann-Niedrach in court on Friday, Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley said, “You ruined him,” per the Asbury Park Press.
Havemann-Niedrach groomed the teen in 2023 before beginning to sexually assault him, including by giving him food and gifts that allegedly included a sex toy, according to O’Malley. She was accused of sexually assaulting him at her home and in hotels.
When Freehold Intermediate School staff expressed concerns about Havemann-Niedrach’s interactions with the boy at school, a vice principal suggested alerting law enforcement, according to the newspaper.
“We place such an immense degree of faith on our educators to always act in the best interests of their students, and it is difficult to conceive of a violation of that faith any more egregious than this,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said in a statement. “One of the most foundational and fundamental components of our service to the public is consistently ensuring that sexual predators of children are held fully accountable for their crimes.”
Havemann-Niedrach must permanently forfeit public office, give up her teaching license, remain on supervised parole for life and register as a sex offender as part of her sentence, according to prosecutors.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
