On Feb. 24, a former Catasauqua foster parent pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a teenager who had been in her care.

According to reports, Kimberly Race, 43, who had resided in the borough and whose last address was Northampton, was charged in October 2019 with statutory sexual assault - a felony of the first degree - because the juvenile was under the age of 16, the defendant was more than 11 years older and they were not married to each other - and one count of corruption of minors, a misdemeanor of the first degree.

According to a report on the investigation, on June 27, 2019, Detective Andrew Millen, with the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, received a report of alleged sexual assaults on a juvenile, age 15 at the time, that occurred on numerous occasions at Race’s home at 830 Race St., Catasauqua, in July and August of 2018.

At the time of the alleged assaults, the juvenile was in foster care, and Race was his foster mother.

Millen began an investigation into the alleged abuse, during which he interviewed the victim and viewed video. Based on his investigation, it is alleged Race engaged in inappropriate sexual activities with a minor while she was his foster parent.

According to Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin, Race was employed as a teacher in the Catasauqua Area School District. The victim had been a student, while in seventh grade and age 12, in one of Race’s classes several years before the alleged abuse. There are no allegations of abuse during the time the victim was Race’s student, according to the report from the district attorney’s office.

Martin said Race has been suspended from her position with the school district.

She is set to be sentenced May 28.