A former teacher at a Camden private school has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a student a decade ago, the Courier-Gazette reported on Wednesday.
Clifford J. Barnes is charged with four counts of Class C gross sexual assault, one count of unlawful sexual touching, and one count of unlawful sexual contact. He is alleged to have committed the crimes in 2013 and 2014, when he was a teacher and overnight counselor at the Wayfinder School in Camden and the victim was a 16-year-old student, according to the Courier-Gazette.
Court documents cited by the Courier-Gazette say the school asked Barnes about his relationship with the student at the time of the alleged crimes but he denied any inappropriate behavior. The student also denied anything was happening.
When she reported the crimes this year, she told police that Barnes had said, a decade earlier, that he would go to jail if she reported their relationship and she would get in trouble.
Barnes has been held at Knox County Jail since Dec. 22. His bail was set at $15,000 cash. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
