A 31-year-old Kent man has been charged with two counts of first-degree child molestation for allegedly abusing a girl when he taught at a Seattle elementary school.
Abdi A. Hassan pleaded not guilty April 18 to the charges, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Hassan is expected to have several court hearings before a trial date is set. He was booked and released April 18 from the King County jail.
The incidents came to light in November 2021 when the girl, now in middle school, wrote a paper about a time of great difficulty in her life and was able to put words to her abuse for the first time, according to charging papers filed April 5. The alleged abuse occurred between July 20, 2015 and July 19, 2016 when the girl was about 6 or 7 years old, according to charging papers.
A Seattle Police detective opened an investigation after a middle school principal reported a possible sexual assault based on an essay a student wrote in one of her classes. Seattle Public Schools placed Hassan on leave after officials were notified about the alleged incident.
A King County child interview specialist spoke with the girl who said that Hassan was her English as a second language teacher. She said they would meet in the school library and sit at a table next to each other when nobody else was in the library.
She would read to Hassan in English and he would tell her to “touch his privates,” which she would touch through his clothing, according to charging papers. She said she was forced to touch him on numerous occasions.
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