Head of Montessori School of Raleigh arrested for aiding and abetting in sex abuse case
RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The Head of the Montessori School of Raleigh was arrested Wednesday for allegedly aiding and abetting in a sex abuse case.
Raleigh police confirm Nancy Errichetti was arrested at the school.
This comes after Errichetti was indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on charges of aiding and abetting, taking indecent liberties with a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The jury determined that, between Aug. 14, 2012, and June 2, 2016, Errichetti aided and abetted Nicholas Smith, "to take or attempted to take immoral, improper or indecent liberties with a child who was under the age of 16 years on the date of the offense."
According to the indictment, Errichetti "had previous knowledge of inappropriate behavior toward other students in whose care he was entrusted as a school teacher."
Errichetti, who was in a position to act, failed to do so, the indictment alleges.
On Thursday, school officials released a statement:
"We have worked closely and cooperatively with law enforcement officials since the arrest of Nick Smith and are actively working to better understand the basis for the allegations against Nancy Errichetti. As Head of School, she consulted closely with outside counsel on all matters related to Nick Smith. The safety and well-being of our students remains the foundation on which our school is built. The Board of Trustees will work with our administration to ensure continuity for our students, parents, faculty and community."
ABC11 previously reported that Smith allegedly had inappropriate contact with two separate students.
He was arrested last November.
Arrest warrants stated Smith admitted that he and a student had a consensual relationship during the 2011-2012 school year where both would have sex "on a regular basis" and even kissed on school property. The warrant also stated Smith and the girl would have sex at the homes of her mother and father.
During the 2015-2016 school year, Smith was involved with another student, according to court documents: "Mr. Nicholas Smith would touch (victim 1) on her hips, thighs, and breast as well as engage in non-academic conversations," the documents said.
The instances would allegedly take place on school property, with the exception of a school field trip for a cooking class to a Raleigh Harris Teeter when Smith allegedly groped the student's breasts.
Smith's actions came to a halt when he "attempted to communicate" via the social media app Snapchat. The student rejected Smith's advances and told her parents only about the Snapchat incident.
