A teacher out of St. Louis is facing charges after attempting to hire a hit man to kill a student he’s accused of molesting.
According to police, Deonte Taylor, 36, was working as a teacher’s aide in 2015 at Lusher Elementary when he molested a student who was 7 years old at the time.
Taylor was not charged in the matter until his arrest in November 2018 when test results confirmed DNA found on the student belonged to Taylor.
Police say while locked up and awaiting trial, Taylor, with the help of his boyfriend Michael Johnson, 66, plotted to kill his young victim and the child’s family. Both Taylor and Johnson pled not guilty to charges during a court appearance last week.
Before his arrest in November, and after the incident at Lusher Elementary, Taylor continued to work with children. At the time of his arrest he was working as a fifth grade teacher at Walnut Grove Elementary school in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. He continues to draw a paycheck from the district while behind bars.
Taylor, who is HIV positive, facing felony sodomy, conspiracy to commit murder, and tampering charges. Johnson is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering.
It’s not clear if Taylor was HIV positive at the time of the alleged attack on the child.
