42-year-old Chong-Hwa Chang, a New Jersey Department of Corrections teacher, was arrested on 31 January and swiftly fired from duty, after authorities charged her with sexual assault.
The Department of Corrections found out that she had sex with a convicted murderer, 35-year-old Rashid Walker, more than 20 times behind bars. She also got pregnant twice during this time.
Chang taught basic adult education for nine years at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. It is a maximum security facility and Walker was not one of her students. He is serving a 60-year sentence for a 2004 murder when he fatally shot 23-year-old Javid Patel, a coin laundry manager, after robbing him at gunpoint in Passaic, New Jersey.
Mercer County Prosecutors were tipped off to the illicit relationship, and they obtained a warrant and searched Chang’s Delran, New Jersey home. There they found a journal detailing their behind bars sexual exploits.
According to The Trentonian, Chang wrote in the journal that she had gotten pregnant twice by Walker. The first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, whereas the other was aborted.
The prosecutors also learnt that Chang had become close with Walker’s family. She was even giving his relatives gifts and also attended a family wedding.
Although the pair’s relationship was consensual, prosecutors are bringing the sexual assault charges as Chang was in a supervisory role at the prison.
Chang received a master’s degree from Rutger’s University. She was born in Korea but is a naturalized citizen. She has two children from a different relationship and has no previous criminal record.
At Thursday’s hearing, the judge reduced Chang’s bail from $75,000 to $50,000.
News Source: www.NYDailyNews.com
