Columbia High teacher molested boy in school Update designated a Level 2 sex offender

[MedicCook]

Police: Teacher molested boy in school
Kirk Hellwig has taught at Columbia High School for 9 years

EAST GREENBUSH -- A social studies teacher at Columbia High School was arrested today and charged with repeatedly having oral sex with a 16-year-old youth during school hours.

Kirk James Hellwig, 37, of Patricia Lane, Saratoga Springs, allegedly abused the student on three occasions in the classroom, according to East Greenbush Police.

Police said they arrested Hellwig after investigating rumors the two were having a sexual relationship. They said Hellwig did not force sex on the student, who is not old enough to consent.

Hellwig, who has been at the school for nine years and also teaches civics, was charged with criminal sex act and unlawfully dealing with a child.

He was arraigned today in Town Court and released on $25,000 bail.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=591208&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=5/21/2007

[Venus]

I saw this story on the channel 9 news tonight. This guys face looked queer.

[sws4420]

They shouldn't have used the word 'molest' in the story. While the kid wasn't old enough to consent, 'molest' insinuates that the kid wasn't willing to engage in the sex acts.

Any of you think back to when you were sixteen and tell me with a straight face that you were completely oblivious to everything around you and just let adults take advantage of you without your knowledge. I was having sex at sixteen and I knew everything in the world. If anyone ever said I was 'molested' when, in fact, I was having sex with someone older than me that was of age, I'd spin them around and set them straight right quick.


http://images.capitalnews9.com/media/2007/5/21/images/01___hellwig.jpg

[MedicCook]

His MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/ordinaryhero33

http://a688.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00262/78/62/262952687_m.jpg


Predator suspect used MySpace

TROY - The 37-year-old teacher accused of having sex with one of his students had a MySpace web site showing a photo when he was much younger and said his age was 15 years old.
Kirk Hellwig, on paid leave from his social studies teaching position at Columbia High School, was arrested Monday and charged with repeatedly having sex at the school during the school day with a 16-year-old student.
The Saratoga Springs resident, free on $25,000 bail, faces three counts each of felony third-degree criminal sex act and endangering the welfare of a child. Authorities say the sex was consensual but a 16-year-old cannot legally consent. The victim cooperated in the investigation and is now in therapy.
Hellwig's MySpace Web site was deleted sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. A reporter from WTEN accessed the site before then and
said Hellwig's profile said he was a 34-year-old teacher in Albany. Police say he is 37 years old.
A scan of the profile's introductory page before it was deleted shows the site was listed as "private" and claims the proprietor is 15 years old. It also says the site as belonging to "Kirk" and that it was last accessed on May 15. A quote next to the photo says "Just Taking Life for a Ride."
Last week rumors circulated through the halls of Columbia High School that Hellwig was having sexual relations with a male student during the school day. Two principals approached police officers working at the school and after a short investigation, including interviews and a review of computer activity, Hellwig was placed under arrest.
East Greenbush Police Chief Christopher Lavin said MySpace and other public web pages are the realm of "fiction and fantasy" and does not have any place in an official investigation. The District Attorney's Office would not comment because of the ongoing investigation. However, other computer activity is part of the investigation.
MySpace, in an e-mail, said the profile was not deleted but it could not be found on the site Tuesday afternoon.
While officials say the relationship may have been going on since January, Hellwig is charged with having sex three different times in three different locations in the school. At this point, there is nothing to lead officials to believe the teacher since 1999 had contact with any other student.
At least one of his former students and a co-worker said she does not believe Hellwig did what he is accused of and dismissed the fact he claimed to be 15 years old on his MySpace page.
"He was always very friendly and sociable and I've seen him outside the school setting and I've never seen any indication he would do something like this," said Tara Berlin, a 2000 graduate who had Hellwig for a Participation in Government Class and then worked with him and others as a teacher's assistant. "I don't believe this is a true story. It is not unbelievable to get mad at a teacher and throw accusations around like this."
"Until I am proven wrong, I am supporting him. If it is true then he deserves what he gets, but if it is not true then he just got his name slandered forever."
She said it is not unusual to lie about your age on MySpace and that she has friends who say they are 99 years old and another friend who is 24 years old but says she is 15 on her MySpace page.
Hellwig is slated to appear in court Thursday unless the DA's office takes it to a grand jury. Hellwig, a former wrestling and baseball coach, is prohibited from entering district premises or attending any school functions.

http://www.saratogian.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18374284&BRD=1169&PAG=461&dept_id=602469&rfi=6

[sws4420]

It says so in the article, but I'd like to point out that this guy was pretending to be a 15-year-old on his MySpace page.

[MedicCook]

When I looked at his page which is privated it shows that he was logged on yesterday. Someone should send him a friend request.

[trojanmiro]

It says so in the article, but I'd like to point out that this guy was pretending to be a 15-year-old on his MySpace page.

i know some people thought used to use a young age to set their profile for private. i dont think mysspace always had that option available.

[sws4420]

Oh yeah, good point.

[MedicCook]

Ex-Columbia teacher sentenced for sex act

TROY -- A former Columbia High School social studies teacher who admitted in August to having oral sex in a classroom with a 16-year-old male student was sentenced today to up to a year in prison.

Kirk James Hellwig, 37, surrendered to county corrections officers in September to begin serving his term early. He appeared in court in jail garb.

The resident of Patricia Lane, Saratoga Springs, pleaded guilty Aug. 28 before County Judge Robert Jacon to one count each of first-degree disseminating indecent material over the Internet to a minor and third-degree criminal sex act.

"I had oral sex with a young man under the age of 17," Hellwig told Jacon at the time.

Hellwig was ordered under terms of the plea agreement to surrender his state teaching license for life and to resign from the East Greenbush Central School District, First Assistant District Attorney Joseph Ahearn said.

Hellwig, who is unmarried and had taught social studies at the school since 1999, was arrested May 21 on three counts each of felony third-degree criminal sex act and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.

He pleaded guilty to using indecent material to converse with the victim online and will be sentenced to 10 years of probation on that charge. On the more serious charge of criminal sex act, Hellwig got up to a year in jail.

Police have said the victim told them the relationship was consensual. Hellwig was charged because a 16-year-old is not old enough to consent.

Sexual contact between the two occurred three times at different hours of the day while they were in the classroom alone. Officials have said the relationship may have been going on since January.

The investigation determined that at the time of his arrest Hellwig was posing on a MySpace Web site as a 15-year-old boy. The posting, which has since been removed, included a photo of Hellwig under the slogan "Just Taking Life for a Ride." The site, which listed Hellwig as an Albany youth named Kirk, showed the teacher with a wide smile standing over a tray that appeared to contain brightly colored drinks in test tubes.

Prosecutors have said Hellwig was not involved sexually with any other students in the school district.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=636935&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=11/7/2007

[Dave]

is that the same hellwig that used to teach at ballston spa?

[MedicCook]

is that the same hellwig that used to teach at ballston spa?

No, but it might be his son. The Mr. Hellwig that taught in Ballston is much older and had one of the worst wigs ever. Really good teacher though. He retired and opened up a restaurant.

[MedicCook]

Ex-area teacher on sex offender registry

TROY - A former Columbia High School social studies teacher who admitted in August to having oral sex in a classroom with a 16-year-old male student was designated a Level 2 sex offender this morning.

Kirk James Hellwig appeared before Judge Robert Jacon for a risk assessment hearing for inclusion on the state's Sex Offender Registry. After hearing arguments from Assistant District Attorney Christa Book and Hellwig's attorney Peter Mochetti, Jacon set the level of risk.

On the registry, Level 1 means a person is low risk of repeating the offense, Level 2 denotes a moderate risk of recidivism and Level 3 is a high risk.

Hellwig must register with the Division of Criminal Justice Services and will be on the registry for life. He must also inform authorities if he changes his address and his name and status will be posted on the state's Web site.

Hellwig pleaded guilty Aug. 28 to one count each of first-degree disseminating indecent material over the Internet to a minor and third-degree criminal sex act. He is serving nine months in the Rensselaer County jail, 10 years' probation, and will be eligible for release this summer. He was also ordered under the plea agreement to surrender his state teaching license for life and to resign from the East Greenbush Central School District.

Hellwig, who is unmarried and had taught social studies at the school since 1999, was arrested May 21. The victim told police the relationship was consensual. Hellwig was charged because the student was not old enough to consent.

Sexual contact between the two occurred three times at different hours of the day.

The investigation also determined that Hellwig was posing on the social networking Web site MySpace as a 15-year-old boy at the time of his arrest. The posting, which has since been removed, included a photo of Hellwig under the slogan "Just Taking Life for a Ride." The site, which listed Hellwig as an Albany youth named Kirk, showed the teacher with a wide smile standing over a tray that appeared to contain brightly colored drinks in test tubes.

Prosecutors have said Hellwig was not involved sexually with any other students in the district.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=667622&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=2/28/2008