Teacher's Aide Pleads Not Guilty To Sexually Abusing Students

GLENARDEN, Md. (WJZ) -- An elementary school volunteer accused of sexually abusing students faces a federal judge. A grand jury indicted Deonte Carraway on 13 federal counts of sexually exploiting minors and producing child porn.

Police say the abuse happened in multiple places, including the school, a church and a community center.

Meghan McCorkell was at Friday's court hearing.

On Friday, Deonte Carraway pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against him, as a mother of one of his alleged victims speaks out to WJZ.

It's the child porn scandal that's rocked a Prince George's County community.

Former school aide 22-year-old Deonte Carraway is accused of victimizing children at Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School, having sex with them or forcing them to perform sex acts on each other while he videotaped.

Police have identified at least 17 victims.

WJZ spoke with one of the alleged victims' mothers.

"I don't know what to say. I'm still in shock," she said.

A picture from Carraway's Twitter page shows him on a class trip with children here in Baltimore.

On Friday, he appeared in front of a federal judge for the first time, pleading not guilty to 13 counts against him.

Carraway spoke few words during the hearing, mostly answering the judge with a "yes sir."

But in court documents obtained by WJZ, Carraway confesses, telling investigators: "I know it was wrong, I'm a bad person. I'm not a child of god for doing this, I know I'm grown."

Investigators found 38 videos on Carraway's phone. Police say he also victimized children at a local community center and at the Zion Praise Tabernacle Church, where he directed the youth choir.

Family members of his alleged victims say they just want to see him behind bars.

"I'm just glad he's locked away and he's not hurting these babies any more. That's the only thing I can say," one of the alleged victims' mothers said.

Deonte Carraway faces life in prison.

Carraway is also facing state charges. He is being held on $1 million bond.

Four civil lawsuits have been filed against Carraway, the school system and the city of Glenarden.