Ex-Dowling English teacher pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of 17-year-old student

José Mendiola, Des Moines Register
·2 min read
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A former Dowling Catholic High School teacher who was arrested in 2023 in connection with an alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation by a school employee and faces up to two years in prison, according to court documents.

Police arrested Kristen Gantt, 36, in April. Gantt entered her plea on Feb. 8, the court documents show.

In court records, Gantt admitted to kissing a student under the age of 18 for the purpose of sexual arousal while she was an English teacher at Dowling.

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A criminal complaint staid Gantt admitted to police that she engaged in a romantic relationship with the student that involved physical intimacy on at least five occasions. Each of the physical encounters occurred in Gantt's classroom after the school day had ended, according to the complaint.

A search warrant application filed prior to Gantt's arrest showed police obtained email and Instagram messages between her and the student that appeared personal and flirtatious in nature.

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Some of the conversations on Instagram, which the warrant application said were first obtained by WHO TV, detail messages in which they comment on each other’s appearance and make plans to spend time together outside of school.

According to the warrant, the student told police Gantt had reached out "to provide support" as he struggled with family issues at home. The student denied having a physical relationship with Gantt or contact with her outside school, according to the warrant.

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School administrators supplied police with surveillance footage that appeared to show Gantt and the student in her classroom alone behind a locked door. The window on the door is shown to be covered by a piece of paper, according to the warrant.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ex-teacher pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of Dowling student, 17