SPOKANE, Wash – Police say a Spokane teacher accused of raping her 10-year-old student videotaped the crime in an elementary school classroom.
According to the statement of facts filed in Spokane County Superior Court, Mahayla Benavides raped the child on multiple occasions, with the student saying the abuse started around winter break.
Police arrested Benavides Thursday for child rape and molestation.
Spokane Police first interviewed Benavides at her home in February.
At the time, they say she asked for a lawyer and didn’t want to answer questions.
Police informed her that they were going to take a buccal swab as evidence.
The detective said Benavides asked if she could get her cell phone. Police say a few minutes later, “she performed a ‘google search’ for a lawyer.”
She did not answer questions and police left with the swabs.
Police also collected evidence from the classroom at Stevens Elementary school, which detectives say included a bean bag chair that tested positive for a bodily fluid.
The court records don’t indicate whether or not the swabs taken match the victim’s DNA.
Stevens Elementary School Investigation
Benavides was a special education teacher.
The child told investigators the abuse happened almost every day, “sometimes as much as five times per day.”
He told investigators it often happened in a “time-out room” but sometimes it she would touch him sexually in the classroom when other kids were present.
According to the affidavit, Benavides told the child not to tell anyone or she would get in trouble or possibly lose her job.
He also told investigators she would sometimes give him brownies.
The alleged victim also told said Benavides would take sexual videos of herself and show them to the child at school.
Upon searching Benavides’ phone, police say they found explicit videos of her talking to the camera while undressing and pleasuring herself.
In one of the videos, she uses the child’s name.
Police wrote in the affidavit that they also found videos of Benavides appearing to perform a sexual act with the child in the classroom.
Investigators seized items from both Benavides and the child, along with her cell phone.
They also obtained information from SPS regarding Benavides’ key card logs and personnel files.
SPS also handed over videos from the classrooms in question.
The court documents do not say if any abuse was recorded on those cameras.
Benavides faced a judge for her first appearance Friday.
‘Every child deserves that safety’
The law firm representing the child’s family reached out to local media Friday.
Sweetser Law Office said, in part, “Parents entrust schools with their children every day. That trust exists because families believe their children will be safe in the care of the adults responsible for them. Every child deserves that safety.”
Spokane Schools says it’s following established procedures and deferred to SPD’s investigation.
SPD credits Spokane Schools for bringing the allegations to their attention and for cooperating with the investigation.
Prosecutors said Benavides’ actions were “highly predatory” and that she was able to “keep her actions hidden for a long period of time.”
The state is also concerned about witness tampering, saying she tried to contact the victim even after she knew she was under investigation.
Prosecutors asked for a bond of $750,000 and that she will not be allowed to contact or be around minors.
The defense did not argue and the judge put the $750,000 bond in place.
She’ll be back in court later this month to enter a plea.
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