DARLINGTON — The 23-year-old gym former teacher accused of sexual assault and an inappropriate relationship involving a 17-year-old student has been released on a $5,000 signature bond following a court appearance earlier this week.

Jesse Sturtz, 23 of Darlington, is charged in a criminal complaint with four counts of sexual assault by school staff, a class H felony in Wisconsin punishable by up to six years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. 

He appeared in court for the bond hearing with attorney Lance McNaughton, who was filling in for his regular lawyer on the case, Robert S. Duxstad. In addition to the signature bond, Sturtz was ordered to have no contact with the victim or anyone under the age of 18, and no contact with Darlington Schools, according to court records.

Sturtz, a Darlington High School gym teacher, allegedly met the 17-year-old victim in a class he was teaching around September. The Monroe Times does not identify under age victims or any reported victims of sexual assault.

After “flirting” between the pair, they had sex with on four occasions, according to details of the complaint. At one point, the complaint states, a police officer approached the pair following an outing to Dubuque. 

They were parked behind a Wiota church allegedly engaged in sexual relations; and the victim allegedly gave police a false birth date to avoid getting the teacher in trouble.

Sturtz is scheduled to appear in Lafayette County Circuit Court again at 2:30 p.m. on March 22.