LIMERICK — An RSU 57 special education teacher charged with having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old former student earlier this year allegedly exchanged text messages with the boy and the two corresponded via Facebook.

During the investigation, the boy allegedly admitted to York County Sheriff’s Office School Resources Deputy Jason Solomon to having had at least seven sexual encounters with teacher Jessica Pomerleau in the summer of 2011, according to documents on file at York County Superior Court. The boy alleged that he smoked marijuana provided by Pomerleau, and that she had provided him with alcoholic beverages.

Pomerleau, 36, was released from York County Jail on $10,000 bail Oct. 11, several hours after she turned herself in to authorities. She is charged with gross sexual assault and aggravated unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, both Class C felonies, in connection with the relationship she is alleged to have had with the boy and is scheduled to make a first court appearance Dec. 22.

Her attorney, John Webb, has said his client denies the charges.

“We absolutely deny any sexual relationship with any student at any time,” said Webb in an Oct. 12 interview. He also denied that Pomerleau gave the student drugs.

An affidavit supporting Pomerleau’s arrest, along with other documents, was impounded by the court Oct. 11, the day she surrendered to police. The impoundment expired Friday. Assistant District Attorney Kent Avery said in court papers that the state didn’t object to the lifting of the impoundment but asked the court that the name of the 15-year-old boy and his mother remain impounded or pseudonyms be used to save the victim from embarrassment or trauma and potential emotional harm associated with publishing his name. Justice Paul Fritzsche denied that request.

The Journal Tribune does not identify victims of alleged sex crimes.

According Maj. Bill King of the sheriffs’ office, the allegations came to light in September after the mother of another student told Solomon that Pomerleau allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a former student. The court documents also show that the boy’s girlfriend confronted him about the allegations.

According to the affidavit filed by Solomon supporting Pomerleau’s arrest warrant, the boy’s mother told police that Pomerleau had driven him home on a number of occasions, but that she was unaware of any inappropriate activity. Some of the boy’s other relatives, however, allegedly expressed concern that an inappropriate relationship might be taking place.

Most of the alleged sexual encounters took place in Pomerleau’s car in several locations in Lyman, according to the document, and on at least one occasion in the area of the Maine Mall parking lot in South Portland.

Pomerleau, of Limerick, has been employed by Regional School Union 57 since 2007, first as an education technician and as a special education teacher beginning in 2008, school officials have said. She is one of three teachers in the high school’s alternative education initiative called the “Success” program, instituted in September 2010.

According to the document, the boy allegedly once left his cell phone in Pomerleau’s car, and she placed it in a portable toilet for him to retrieve later. The phone was recovered by police from the owners of the portable toilet and unlocked. The phone contained a number of text messages, allegedly sent from Pomerleau to the boy.

One of the text messages Pomerleau allegedly sent says, “I stayed home sick today, I want to spend the day with you.” Solomon said a check of RSU 57 records show Pomerleau called in sick that day.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.