Police: Former DC teacher sexually abused 15-year-old student

WASHINGTON  — A former DC Public Schools teacher faces a sex abuse charge after authorities say he had a sexual relationship with a student between 2014 and 2016.

Mark Walker, 39, of DC, was arrested and charged Thursday after he “engaged in a sexual act with [a] child and caused that child to engage in a sexual act.” The charging documents described the act as penetration.

The affidavit details the claims by the complainant, identified as S.C., who was 15 in 2015 when the sexual contact started. At the time, Walker was 33-years-old and a visual arts teacher.

Walker started walking S.C. home from school and sending her letters while she took part in his after-school program. The victim and other students would do homework and watch movies at Walker’s house, which ended with the teacher dropping students off at their homes. On one occasion, Walker kissed the complainant when he dropped her off.

He also invited her over to his home, “and on one occasion attempted to have sexual intercourse with” her, the affidavit said. The documents said S.C. told Walker she was a virgin and didn’t want to have sex with him; the complainant told authorities Walker still “attempted to penetrate the complainant, which frightened [her] and made [her] cry.”

This particular incident happened in the summer of 2015 or 2016. She described “a wave of emotions” that came over her, ending with her asking “why he would penetrate her despite explicitly telling him she did not want that to happen.”

S.C. told investigators their relationship was “romantic,” with Walker buying her gifts and giving special attention. Classmates started to notice the actions, and S.C. confided in multiple friends about the relationship. One friend, Witness 1 in the affidavit, filed the initial complaint with the DC Child and Family Services Agency, describing Walker’s behavior as “grooming.” That filing prompted the investigation.

Witness 1 told authorities she also had a sexual relationship with Walker but not while she was his student. She was 17 at the time of the relationship.

Investigators talked to other witnesses who claimed to know about Walker having relationships with students; one witness told authorities another student, referred to as Witness 5, had a relationship with Walker.

DC Public Schools told ABC7 Walker used to work at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. A letter that went out to their community is attached below.