NEW BOSTON, Texas - A former Texas High School teacher's aide was indicted Thursday for alleged sexual misconduct with three male students.
Ashlyn Faye Bell, 24, was indicted by a Bowie County Grand Jury on Thursday for two counts of improper relationship between educator and student and a single count of sexual assault of a child.
Bell is accused of engaging in sexual misconduct last fall with three boys, two of whom were 17 and a one of whom 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. When the teacher confronted the 17-year-old student, he allegedly informed the teacher that Bell had already "told him he was not the daddy."
Because the alleged sexual encounters between Bell and the three students occurred at her residence in New Boston, Texas, that city's police department conducted the investigation. The first boy was interviewed in mid-June and told investigators he had a sexual encounter with Bell over Thanksgiving break in 2019.
The boy alleged that the two were communicating via SnapChat and Bell agreed to meet him at a truck stop. From there, Bell allegedly took the boy to her home in New Boston in the 900 block of Boston Avenue.
The 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 that on the third visit the two engaged in sexual activity in the fall of 2019.
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 via SnapChat. He told authorities that on Nov. 22, he "jokingly told Bell he was coming to see her."
Later in the night, Bell allegedly sent him a SnapChat message asking him if he was coming over. Bell allegedly had her child in the car seat when she picked him up from his home and drove him to her residence. The third boy 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.