South Jersey Teacher Pleads Guilty After Having Baby With 13-Year-Old Student

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, NJ — A former South Jersey elementary school teacher has pleaded guilty in a disturbing case involving a former student who was just 13 years old when she gave birth to his child.

Laura Caron, 36, a former fifth-grade teacher at Middle Township Elementary School, entered a guilty plea on October 28 to second-degree endangering the welfare of a child with sexual conduct, according to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.

The case stems from allegations that Caron sexually assaulted a male student over several years, beginning when he was approximately 11 years old.

Investigation Revealed Years of Alleged Abuse

According to investigators, the alleged conduct occurred between 2016 and 2020, during a period when the former student and his siblings were living at Caron’s home.

Authorities said Caron had previously been the boy’s fifth-grade teacher and had developed a close relationship with his family.

Investigators alleged that the relationship became inappropriate and eventually involved repeated sexual abuse.

In 2019, Caron gave birth to a daughter when the former student was just 13 years old.

The investigation reportedly began after the boy’s father raised concerns about the child’s resemblance to members of his family in a social media post in December 2024.

Those concerns eventually led to an investigation by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.

Teacher Faces Five Years in State Prison

Caron was initially arrested in January 2025 and faced charges including aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Under the terms of her guilty plea, Caron faces a recommended five-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison.

She will also be required to surrender her teaching license and forfeit eligibility for all future public employment.

Before serving her prison sentence, Caron must undergo an evaluation at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel. The evaluation will determine whether she is classified as repetitive and/or compulsive, which could affect her sentence.

Following her prison term, Caron will be required to register under Megan’s Law and remain under parole supervision for the rest of her life.

Sentencing Scheduled for January 2027

Caron is scheduled to appear for sentencing on January 8, 2027, in Cape May County Superior Court.

Although the plea agreement calls for five years in state prison, the judge will formally impose the sentence following the required evaluation.

The case has drawn significant attention throughout South Jersey because of the serious allegations involving a former elementary school teacher and a child who had been under her care as a student.

The guilty plea marks a major development in the case, which first came to public attention in late 2024.

The case remains pending final sentencing.