Former Charles County teacher's aide accused of raping student

WALDORF, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A former Charles County Public Schools employee has been charged with second-degree rape and fourth-degree sexual offenses with two middle school students. Investigators say the girls attend Mattawoman Middle School where 23-year-old Anthony Williams Jr. worked in 2018.

Williams neighborhood is located directly across the street from the middle school where he worked as a teacher's aide during detention, but he was fired at the beginning of the year when police began their investigation.

According to a letter sent home by the principal Monday, the investigation began in January when a female student at Mattawoman Middle School accused Williams of making inappropriate comments to her.

The school district says he was fired and the case was turned over to police, but during their investigation, police say a second female student came forward and said she had inappropriate contact with Williams outside of school.

Williams started working as an instructional assistant in the in-school retention program, also known as detention, at Mattawoman in September 2018.

A longtime neighbor and family friend was in total shock at the news. He told FOX 5 Monday, Williams is a local high school basketball coach as well.

"I am mortified, not just for him, but for his family… I've never seen that in him. He was an upstanding young man. Just this past basketball season, I would go to North Point and watch his team play…even gave him, you know, instructions," said Isiah Woods.

Last week, Williams was arrested and charged with rape and sexual offenses involving the two middle school students where he worked. He posted a $25,000 bond and is back in court on May 14.