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DELTA — A middle school teacher in Millard County was charged Monday with engaging in unlawful sexual conduct with a teenage boy who used to be one of her students.
Malori Nielson, 28, of Delta, is charged in 4th District Court with rape, a first-degree felony; and distribution of pornography by an adult, a third-degree felony.
Last week, the Millard County Sheriff's Office was asked to investigate "suspected unlawful sexual conduct between (Nielson), who is a teacher at Delta Middle School, and one of her former students, who is now in high school," according to charging documents.
The boy was one of Nielson's students from 2021 through 2023.
"It was also reported that (Nielson) had sent a nude video of herself to the alleged victim and that several other students had seen the video and had recently confronted (her) about the video," the charges state.
When investigators talked to the teen, he said even though he was no longer a student at the school, he would spend time in Nielson's classroom after hours.
"He reported that (Nielson) would allow him and his friends to access the school gymnasium to play basketball when the school was closed. According to the alleged victim, he and (Nielson) added each other on Snapchat so he could communicate with her outside of school hours to facilitate her allowing him to access the school gym," according to the charges.
The teen also told investigators "that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with (Nielson) in May 2024 near the end of the school year. The alleged victim would have been 15 years old at the time," the charges allege.
The Millard School District on Tuesday said Nielson had been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
"We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and appreciate their thorough and professional handling of the matter. While the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to provide additional details. However, we want to reassure our community that we remain steadfast in our commitment to student safety and well-being," the district stated.
