A former New Jersey elementary school teacher accused of sexually abusing a student over a period of four years has pleaded guilty to a child endangerment charge.
Laura Caron, 36, entered her guilty plea Friday, October 30, according to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office. She pleaded guilty to second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by engaging in sexual conduct. Caron was arrested in January 2025 after an investigation by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit. The investigation began after authorities received a report alleging that Caron had engaged in a sexual relationship with a male juvenile.
She was later indicted in June 2025. Prosecutors said Caron previously worked as a fifth-grade teacher at Middle Township Elementary School.
According to an earlier probable cause statement, investigators alleged that Caron began sexually abusing the boy when he was 11 years old. The alleged conduct continued for several years, according to authorities.
The case includes allegations concerning a child born to Caron in 2019, when the alleged victim was 13 years old and Caron was 27. A probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE said the boy’s sister told investigators that he claimed to be the father of Caron’s daughter.
The statement also alleged that the boy sometimes stayed at Caron’s home with permission from his parents. Authorities said he later began living with Caron in 2016, although the reason for that arrangement remained unclear.
Caron’s guilty plea resolves the criminal case without a trial, but she still faces significant consequences. Under the agreement, she is expected to serve five years in New Jersey State Prison.
She will also be required to surrender her teaching license and will be permanently barred from future public employment, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Before sentencing, Caron will be evaluated at New Jersey’s Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center. The evaluation will determine whether she is considered repetitive and/or compulsive, a finding that could affect how the court handles her sentence.
After completing her prison term, Caron will be required to register under Megan’s Law. She will also remain under parole supervision for the rest of her life.
Her sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2027.
The allegations involved a former teacher and a student who was a minor at the time of the reported conduct. Caron’s guilty plea formally establishes her criminal responsibility for the charge, while additional details about the case and the victim remain protected because of his age.