A Penn Township woman who taught at Beaver Falls High School is accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a 16-year-old student.

Sarah Jo Massa, 24, is accused of exchanging more than 3,700 messages, including 20-30 with photos of herself in lingerie, with a student after giving him a 114% in her class last school year, according to Patterson Township police.

Police said they were alerted in June to the messages, which were sexual in nature, and other special treatment that preceded the conversations end of the summer. Charging documents indicate Massa “may have been grooming” the boy by allowing him to sleep in class, giving him hall passes for being late and allowing him to get out of other classes to come to hers

Massa was charged Wednesday, Aug. 12, with two felony counts of unlawful contact with minors, one felony count each of corruption of minors and criminal use of a communication facility and misdemeanor corruption of minors.

Police said the allegations against Massa were made in the first two weeks of June. Police said the boy and Massa had exchanged phone numbers at the end of the school year.

According to police, Massa texted the boy days after school ended with inappropriate messages. The two were conversing on iMessage before they switched to Snapchat because the boy’s mom began to catch on, police said.

According to charging documents, Massa gave the boy a cover story for his mother as to why he had her phone number. Police said Massa also admitted to the text messages being sexual in nature and to deleting messages between the two of them.

The Big Beaver Falls Area School District said Friday on its Facebook page it was aware of the allegations and had removed the employee from duties involving students.

“The district will not tolerate any conduct that compromises the safety or well-being of students and will take all appropriate action consistent with the law and district policy,” Superintendent Donna Nugent said.

The district said it is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.

Massa’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. Sept. 1 before District Judge Felicia Santillan. Attempts to reach her attorney, Steven Valsamidis of Valsamidis Law, were unsuccessful.