Ex-tutor charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student pleads not guilty

The ex-tutor charged with sexually assaulting his 13-year-old middle school student inside a South Seattle restaurant bathroom and recording it, pleaded not guilty to two charges Thursday.

The tutor, Gregory Emmanuel Ward has been charged with second-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes inside King County Superior Court Thursday.

Ward, worked for the nonprofit educational group City Year, a program that provides tutoring and other support to students in public schools. The assaulted student was enrolled at Aki Kurose Middle School. Ward specialized in math, reading and science.

Investigators told KIRO 7 the suspect worked with the student for months before the two developed a “sexting” relationship. The relationship was exposed, and subsequently ended, when the victim’s mother caught the tutor groping her underage daughter, 13, in an alley outside of a restaurant.

The student told her family she was going to meet some friends, according to court documents obtained by KIRO Newsradio and MyNorthwest. But when she stopped answering her phone, her sister and mother tracked her location through her phone to the restaurant.

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The defendant told authorities she “didn’t know he was going to harass her” when she agreed to meet Ward at the restaurant. According to court documents,  Ward has been charged with raping her inside the establishment. He also has been charged with taking explicit photos of the victim, as well as buying her vapes, clothing and sex toys.

During Ward’s arraignment, the judge said if it was up to him he would increase Ward’s $250,000 bail, suggesting it was too low. However, that judge did not want to challenge another court’s earlier ruling. Ward does not have any prior criminal convictions or warrant history, according to court documents.

Minutes later a court advocate read a letter from the victim and her family that said in part, “We, as her family, have watched her suffer since the assault. As a young kid, still in development, we watch her try to come to terms with the event that occurred… we are deeply hurt as we watch her try and comprehend the nightmare that is now her’s and our family’s reality.”

MyNorthwest and KIRO Newsradio have reached out to Seattle Public Schools and City Year for comment.

This remains a developing story. Check back for updates.

Luke Duecy is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Luke’s stories here. Follow Luke on X, or email him here.