York City School District employee charged with having sexual relationship with student

A York City School District employee has been charged with several counts of sexual contact with a student after allegedly having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student.

Melissa Juarez Castro, 25, of Hellam Township was first employed as a bilingual teacher aide at William Penn Senior High School in August 2023, providing translation services.

On April 17, 2024, the York City Police Department received a ChildLine allegation that alleged possible sexual assault, according to the criminal complaint.

During an interview with the victim, police were told that Juarez Castro had allegedly pursued a relationship with a student she provided translating to in one of his classes at the high school, first requesting his social media handle, which led to communication between the two after school hours.

In October of 2023, the two began meeting outside of school at a park in York City, according to the affidavit. Towards the end of October, the relationship allegedly turned sexual.

The victim told police he and Juarez Castro had sexual intercourse multiple times over the course of their relationship, which ended in April 2024.

Search warrants served to social media platforms Meta and Instagram revealed photos and videos of the two kissing on the lips, the criminal complaint read.

"She 100% maintains her innocence and asks that everybody is patient and waits to hear the whole truth come out," said Timothy Matthew Barrouk, Jaurez Castro's attorney.

The York City School District did not respond to requests for comment.

Juarez Castro's preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 26, at 10 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Adrian Boxley Sr.