Abbott According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Departm ent,

34-year-old Leah Abbott of Delphi, wife of former county council member Carl Abbott, was jailed March 4 on five counts of child seduction, a Class D felony. Abbott was released on bond the following day and an initial hearing is scheduled in Superior Court for March 18 in the evening.

Carroll Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Smith appointed Tippecanoe County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Kristin McVey Tuesday as the special prosecutor in the case. Carroll County Prosecutor Trish Thompson filed a motion with the court Tuesday for the special prosecutor in the case. The motion lists a “conflict of interest” as the reason for the request. McVey was formerly the deputy prosecutor in Carroll County.

Thompson told the Comet that given the change in prosecutors the March 18 court date will likely be changed.

Abbott was arrested in connection with allegations of a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old Delphi Community High School student. Abbott served as a substitute nurse at Delphi Community Middle School, which was the basis for the charges.

“As soon as we became aware of this on Friday, we took steps to make sure all parties involved in the allegations will never be in contact on school grounds,” school corporation superintendent Ralph Walker told the Comet Monday.

According to Det. Steve Mullin, who investigated the allegations for the county sheriff’s department, IC 35-42-4-7 states that anyone who provides care, supervision or instruction to a child within the scope of the person’s employment, is employed by a school corporation, and is at least four years older than a person who is at least 16 years of age, but is less than 18 years of age, and engages with the child in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual conduct or any fondling or touching with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the adult, commits child seduction, which is a Class D felony.

When contacted Monday Carl Abbott, her husband, provided the following statement: “This is a difficult time for my family. I hope we are allowed the time we need to process the events of the past week in privacy.”