Olivia Ortz, a choir teacher embroiled in a sex scandal, made sure to sing her heart out during a concert before being apprehended by the police in Pennsylvania.
On Monday, Ortz, 26, was arrested for having sex multiple times with a female student who is 17 years old. The identity of the student has not been revealed.
Olivia Lois Ortz was outed by husband Cody Ortz
It is not known if Olivia Lois Ortz was the teen’s teacher. The incident took place at Wilmington Area High School in Lawrence County.
The authorities learned of Olivia Ortz’s disgraceful and inappropriate conduct via her husband, Cody Ortz.
The heartbroken spouse was also employed at Wilmington Area High School’s music department as a freelancer.
After a recent school trip to Florida, the husband returned home and stumbled upon a series of disturbing messages on Ortz’s iPad.
Cody Ortz discovered wife’s affair and alerted her school’s principal
Chief Carmen Piccirillo said the husband discovered a letter sent to Ortz by the student on an iPad that confirmed that his wife had an inappropriate relationship.
The police chief told PEOPLE that the man was appalled by his discovery and immediately alerted the school’s principal, who contacted the authorities.
Piccirillo explained: “They have both worked with this student on stage productions in our school district. And obviously, he was appalled. He knew she was underage, and he’s a [mandated] reporter. And so, he does the right thing. And the next day, a Saturday, he contacts the school principal.”
The school rapidly suspended the music director, and she has since resigned from her post.
Olivia Ortz was investigated by the New Wilmington Police Department
The New Wilmington Police Department officially opened an investigation into Ortz’s activities on April 18. When the police first approached the student, she denied having sex with the teacher.
She told the police officers that she trusted the teacher and felt comfortable enough to share personal issues she was dealing with.
The police said: “The student indicated that at first, she considered Olivia Ortz a ‘safe adult’ that she trusted and confided in about her personal problems and relationship problems, but then it turned into a romantic relationship.”
As the investigation progressed, the teen decided to reveal the truth. On May 5, the authorities executed a search warrant at the home where the teen resides with her parents and conducted another interview.
She confessed that she went to Olivia Ortz’s home when her husband was traveling and had sex on multiple occasions.
Female student told police she is in love with Olivia Lois Ortz
The teen boldly told the officers that she and the teacher were in love. She also dropped the bombshell that she was still communicating with the choir leader.
In interviews with police, the student revealed that despite the ongoing investigation, she returned to Ortz’s home to offer her comfort and moral support. On May 5, the police also served search warrants at Ortz’s home.
Investigators dug through a cellphone and an iPad and found more than 100 messages between the choir leader and her female student.
The pair used Spotify and the code word “fried rice” to conduct their illicit affair. She has no known presence on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Olivia Ortz will return to court next week
Olivia Lois Ortz was supposed to turn herself in On Sunday, but she declined because she was scheduled to perform at a local concert.
Ortz surrendered to police on Monday and was slapped with two counts of sexual activity with a 17-year-old student.
She is currently being held in the Lawrence County lockup on a $150,000 bond. Olivia Lois Ortz is set to appear in court on May 25.
Olivia Lois Ortz’s predecessor, Jonathan Priano, is on trial for sexual misconduct
In a bizarre twist, Ortz’s predecessor, Jonathan Anthony “Jonny” Priano, is currently on trial after getting hit with charges of sexual misconduct with students.
Jonathan Priano did not go to jail upon his arrest in June 2020. He was released after posting $30,000 on a jail bond.
This week, Priano’s pre-trial hearing began with a former female student testifying about his odd behavior.
Priano’s victims speak
The woman, 25, married, said she was a student of Priano at the age of 16 while at Wilmington Area High School.
At 17, she was in the choir at Youngstown State University, and Priano was present at the sessions.
The former student revealed that the former music teacher used to put in place what he called “rehearsals,” where he would tickle her feet.
He sometimes duct-taped her legs to the wall and pretended that he was a spy. These bizarre activities got him aroused.
Another former student of Priano said that they got close after she lost a friend, and he often invited her to his apartment to watch movies.
Jonathan Priano declines plea deal
During the “rehearsals, he created different skits,” and he would find a variety of objects to tickle her. He told her what shoes to wear before they met, and once, he touched her bra.
Priano is facing 26 criminal charges — “10 counts of institutional sexual assault, two counts of unlawful contact with minors as sexual offenses, 12 counts of corruption of minors, and two counts of endangering the welfare of children.”
Lawrence County Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Miller revealed that Priano was offered a plea arrangement that included 24 of the 26 charges being dropped.
He would be sentenced to 6 to 2 years in the county jail. He was facing two years of probation and 15 years on the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification — but he declined the plea deal.
Jonathan Priano is awaiting the next hearing and jury trial.
