from www.9wsyr.com – The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department arrested a woman formerly employed as a teaching assistant on charges that she had several sexual encounters with an underage male student.

Hayes was employed by Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES during much of the time that the inappropriate relationship took place. According to BOCES, she worked for the district from July 2006 to August 2010. During the summer of 2010, she was employed as a teacher at Onondaga Road Elementary School.

On Jan. 27, Christen Hayes, 30, of Castle Creek Road in Binghamton, was charged with three counts of rape and three counts of criminal sexual act in the third degree. Both rape and criminal sex act are felonies.

She was also charged with three counts of sexual abuse in the third degree, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree, all misdemeanors.

Hayes resigned from OCM BOCES in August 2010, citing health reasons, according to Superintendent Jessica Cohen. The superintendent also noted that the student was not in Hayes’ class.

The Sheriff’s Office says Hayes engaged in sexual activity with the student on several occasions from June 2009 to February 2010.

When they learned about the relationship, BOCES reported it to the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.

BOCES sent a letter to students and families letting them know about the arrest and encouraging them to contact the Sheriff’s Office with any information they might have.

Hayes was arraigned in Town of DeWitt Court where bail was set at $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond. She was then taken to Onondaga County Jail where she posted bail.