School To Pay $950K After Student Sexually Assaulted In Philly

Philadelphia PA

08 January, 2021

1:08 PM

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PHILADELPHIA — A New Jersey school district has settled to pay nearly $1 million to the family of a student who was sexually assaulted in Philadelphia after a Florida man groomed her via the internet while she used her school-issued laptop. The Collingswood Public School District has reached a $950,000 settlement with the family of a girl who was sexually assaulted in a Philadelphia hotel room two years ago. The district will pay $650,000 in structured payments to the girl, plus $300,000 to her family, according to a copy of the lawsuit and settlement signed by Superior Court Judge Yolanda C. Rodriguez. Collingswood Superintendent of Schools Scott Oswald had no comment on the settlement when contacted by Patch Friday morning. In the lawsuit, the family of a Collingswood Middle School student alleged that the district provided a laptop that didn't have the proper safeguards for class assignments, homework and other projects. It didn't prevent her from accessing unauthorized or inappropriate websites, and it didn't prevent third parties from contacting her, according to the lawsuit. They said the girl was using the laptop when she met 21-year-old Liam Heim, of Gulfport, Fla., through an online forum he started on the messaging service Discord in early 2018. The two engaged in an online relationship, culminating when Heim convinced her to meet him in person for a sexual encounter, according to authorities. He was able to convince the girl to meet with him by saying he would hurt himself if she didn't, according to the lawsuit. On March 29, 2018, he flew from Florida to Philadelphia, then traveled to Collingswood to pick the girl up, authorities said. He brought her to a hotel near the Philadelphia Airport where he sexually assaulted her for the next 36 hours, authorities said. They were discovered in the room together after the girl was reported missing by her parents. Heim was arrested and the girl was rescued, authorities said. In the lawsuit, the family claims the district ignored their requests for a search history of the computer after they became concerned about her use of the laptop for non-school related purposes. They were attempting to block websites that were unrelated to her school work. They also asked that she no longer be able to bring her computer home, which the district agreed to. However, the district failed to supervise and control her computer usage while she was at school, according to the lawsuit. They also claimed that another student told a guidance counselor knew about the relationship, but the counselor didn't tell school officials, police or the girl's parents, according to the lawsuit. Heim previously pleaded guilty to charges of traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He was sentenced in September 2019 to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. Story by Anthony Bellano