Ex-student at private school accused of sexual assault

A former student at Pace Academy has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery.

A former student at Pace Academy has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery.

A former Pace Academy student is facing criminal charges after he twice sexually assaulted a female student at the school, Atlanta police said.

The 16-year-old boy, who was not identified because he is a juvenile, was arrested Wednesday, police spokesman Jarius Daugherty said. He is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery.

Police said the alleged incidents occurred in October 2017 at the private school in Buckhead.

In the first incident, the girl told police the suspect grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her past the school auditorium and pulled her toward him, according to the incident report.

“The victim stated that the suspect then took her hand, tucked it inside of his pants ...,” police said.

The girl then pushed the boy and he let go. She said she started crying and ran back toward a class that she was scheduled to attend.

Later that month, the boy approached her again and tried to grab her wrist, police said, but she pulled away.

“The suspect told her that she needs to wear the same pants that she had on last time because the pants made (a part of her anatomy) look big,” according to the report.

The girl said she screamed when another student passed by but that student did nothing.

She said she was reluctant to tell anyone until she told school officials.

“Pace Academy is cooperating with the Atlanta Police Department as they investigate,” Pace spokeswoman Lisa O’Haire told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The school has about 1,100 students in preschool through 12th grade, according to its website.

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