A Crown Point High School Theater teacher was arrested and charged with two counts of Level 5 & 6 Child Seduction July 22, 2022.
The male teacher identified as, Christopher William Degenhart, 50, of Crown Point, allegedly had relations beginning after winter break of 2020 with a 17 year old female student who was in the Crown Point High School’s Fine Art Program. Degenhart was in charge of the theater program, according to court records.
The victim stated Degenhart had written her a recommendation letter for college concerning the Fine Arts program. During the victims senior year of high school Degenhart asked her to come to school early to discuss Winter Break. The victim alleges hugs began to be exchanged and they became more, “Handsy,” then before.
On another occasion after a theater school trip, Degenhart asked her to meet in the St. Anthony’s parking lot at 2 AM where the two sat in his vehicle together and talked. The victim said after this incident Degenhart began to communicate with her on a private email account about non school related subjects.
In February of 2020 Degenhart kissed the minor for an extended period of time before school after asking her to make some copies in the copy room near the band lockers in Crown Point High School. The victim continued coming to school early after this to help Degenhart with the theater program. The two would meet back stage and kiss daily and the incidents became more frequent before and after school, court records allege.
As time went on the two would meet in what is described as “the booth” or the sound booth for the theater. This is where eventually clothes were removed and oral sex was performed on numerous occasions and reciprocated, records alleged. The victim alleged the booth was used approximately 40-50 times for sexual purposes and sometimes multiple times a day. These acts went on until the end of March 2020 when the school closed for Covid.
In April of 2020, Degenhart began asking numerous questions via email concerning the events leading to her 18th birthday. The victim stated Degenhart made it clear he was waiting to have sexual intercourse with her till she turned 18. Once the victim turned 18 they began to have sexual intercourse up until August 2020 when Degenhart’s wife discovered the emails between him and the victim. Degenhart asked the victim to delete the emails immediately.
Degenhart asked for one more meet up with the victim where he stated he could not speak to her anymore and he was no longer living at his home, courts records allege.
Crown Point Police were made aware of these allegations after the victim made it known in a therapy session around June 28, 2022. Police picked up Degenhart and advised him of his rights in which he waved. Degenhart stated, the victim is one of the former students he has had a sexual relationship with, that their relationship progressed to hugging and “heavy petting” and kissing while she was a senior student at the school and prior to her turning 18 years old. During his interview, Degenhart initially stated he waited until the victim turned 18 to engage in oral sex and sexual intercourse with her. Police later confronted him with her statements and Degenhart stated his memory is murky from being 50 years of old and doing a lot of disgusting things, and he is “not going to refute what she says.”
Degenhart was arrested and posted $30,000 surety/$3,000 cash bond on July 22, 2022.
The investigation is ongoing Crown Point Police said. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective Michael Smulski at 219-663-2131, ext. 291, or by email at msmulski@crownpoint.in.gov.
