TEXARKANA, Texas - A former Texarkana, Texas, Independent School District employee pleaded not guilty Monday to three felonies connected to alleged sexual misconduct with three male students.
Ashlyn Faye Bell, 24, appeared with Texarkana lawyer Bruce Condit for arraignment before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell on two counts of improper relationship between educator and student and a single count of sexual assault of a child. Condit entered pleas of not guilty on Bell's behalf to all charges.
Tidwell set the case for a pretrial hearing Feb. 1.
Bell is accused of engaging in sexual misconduct last fall with three boys, two were 17 and one was 16, according to probable cause affidavits. Bell was employed from Aug. 5, 2019, to May 22 as an instructional aide, according to a previous interview with a school district official.
The case was originally brought to the attention of Texarkana, Texas, police by a teacher who reported a conversation she overheard among a group of male students.
Because the alleged sexual encounters between Bell and the three students occurred at her home in New Boston, Texas, that city's police department conducted the investigation.
The first boy allegedly reported that he and Bell engaged in sexual activity in her bedroom after she put her child in bed.
The second alleged victim, 17, said he began associating with Bell outside of school because she was tutoring him. He said he went to Bell's home several times and on the third visit the two engaged in sexual activity.
A third boy reported that he was 16 and knew Bell because she was working in the library. He allegedly said the two began communicating outside of school on SnapChat. He told authorities that on Nov. 22, Bell allegedly had her child in the car seat when she picked him up from his home and drove him to her residence. He told investigators Bell took him home at approximately 5:15 a.m. and she picked him up again for sex the following weekend.
Bell was arrested in late June on two counts of improper relationship between educator and student involving the 17-year old boys and a charge of sexual assault of a child involving the 16-year-old boy. All three offenses are punishable by two to 20 years in prison.
Bell is free on bonds totaling $150,000.