Alisha Crins, former Ponaganset high school teacher in Rhode Island who admitted kissing student but claimed not having sex with student victim charged with sexual assault.
A former Ponaganset High School gym teacher accused of sexually harassing a student in Rhode Island has been charged with sex crimes.
Alisha Crins, 39, was charged Friday with two counts of third-degree sexual assault. Her formal arraignment is slated for March 18, WPRI reported.
The bookings follow the victim, who first met the teacher as a 15-year-old filing a formal complaint against Crins with the Rhode Island State Police back in October, triggering a criminal investigation.
Ponaganset educator first started sending flirty texts to boy when he was 15 before escalating to lewd photos and video
The filing came months after the boy graduating in spring of 2025.
The student told investigators that Crins, who previously worked for the North Smithfield School District, and who was his physical education teacher back when he was a sophomore, sending him numerous flirty text messages that escalated into nude photos and videos once he turned 18 years old, according to police.
The victim also alleges Crins inviting him over to her Cranston home and twice kissing him in his car during his junior year.
Rhode Island teacher admits kissing victim but insists never having had sex
Police said Crins admitted to sending the student photos when questioned by detectives, but emphasized that the two were ‘never physical’ and had only shared a kiss once on a side street near her home.
Notice of the alleged indiscretions came to light after the student’s girlfriend discovered texts from the teacher on the boy’s phone.
Crins also acknowledged that the two discussed having sex once the student was a legal adult but claiming never acting on it.
Crins resigned as a result of the criminal investigation that followed and no longer works for the district.
Crins had been an instructor for PHS’s health and fitness/EMT CTE program. She has a Bachelor of Science, Health and Physical Education/Fitness from Rhode Island College. Her LinkedIn profile notes ‘team leadership’ and ‘team building’ are among her skills.
