News Releases

Detectives Arrest Elementary School Teacher for Sexual Offenses

For Immediate Release: Monday, June 27, 2016

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) were contacted by Child Protective Services and began investigating reports of sexual offenses by a third-grade teacher involving two students. It began for one student in August of 2014 and continued into February of 2016; and involved a second student in February of 2016. The incidents occurred at Cloverly Elementary School located at 800 Briggs Chaney Road in Silver Spring, and were reported to police in February of this year. The teacher was placed by the Montgomery County School system on administrative leave in February 2016 and remained on administrative leave throughout the rest of the school year.

John Vigna, age 49, of the 1000 block of Notley Road in Silver Spring, turned himself in and was served his arrest warrant this morning, June 27. He was charged with one count of sexual abuse of a minor and four counts of third-degree sexual offense for victim 1. He was charged with one count of sexual abuse of a minor and one count of third-degree sexual offense for Victim 2.

Through the course of the investigation it was learned that beginning in August of 2014 and continuing through February of 2016, Vigna had on four or five occasions held Victim 1, currently an 11-year-old girl, on his lap, holding her hips and moving her back and forth on his lap while holding her close to him. When she tried to leave, he resisted letting her get down.

It was also learned that Victim 1 had been inappropriately touched on the buttocks several times in the classroom while other students were engaged in activities that prevented them from noticing the contact. The victim sometimes hugged the teacher goodbye and he would use that opportunity to make that further inappropriate contact.

In February of 2016, Victim 1’s friend, also currently an 11-year-old girl, came into the classroom. Both students hugged the teacher goodbye and both witnessed that Vigna made the same inappropriate contact, rubbing the buttocks, with each girl.

Investigators are releasing this information in order to determine if any other students were victimized by Vigna. Detectives are requesting that parents of students who had Vigna as a teacher, talk to their children about their interactions with him and contact SVID detectives at 240-773-5400 if they believe their child was victimized.

John Vigna is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.

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Release ID: 16-164
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: press-releases