ELLICOTT CITY, MD – A teacher from Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Howard County, has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a 15-year-old female student. Matthew Barth, 44, was arrested in North Carolina without incident, and has been charged with sexual abuse of a minor and a third-degree sex offense.
The Howard County police were notified on May 2 of the suspected sexual abuse by a friend of the victim. According to detectives, the incidents occurred on multiple occasions inside the school. Electronic records that were reviewed also appear to indicate there was sexual contact between Barth and the victim.
Barth has been a teacher at the school since 2003. The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are urging anyone with additional information or who may be another victim to come forward by contacting police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.
Barth is currently in custody in North Carolina and is awaiting an extradition hearing.