A former Centralia Middle School teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old male student in 2020 has been arrested.
The arrest is a result of an investigation initiated by the Centralia Police Department in October 2023, according to a news release from the department.
Court documents indicate the Centralia Police Department received a sexual assault report from Child Protective Services on Oct. 2, 2023. An officer conducted an interview with the victim two days later, on Oct. 4.
Natasha Nicole Polk, 33, was charged Tuesday, Aug. 20 in Lewis County Superior Court with one count of second-degree rape of a child, according to court documents.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
“The alleged acts occurred in 2020 while the victim was in the eighth grade and continued for a time after he completed middle school.”
Polk was reportedly a substitute teacher at Centralia Middle School when the sexual assault began, according to court documents.
The investigation reportedly revealed evidence that Polk provided the victim with food, marijuana, alcohol and vapes, according to the news release.
Polk also allegedly “used her status as an educator to gain access to the victim while he was incarcerated at Lewis County Juvenile on unrelated issues,” according to the news release.
Polk is accused of driving the victim from Centralia to her apartment in Lacey, where she allegedly sexually assaulted him after providing him alcohol, according to the news release.
Polk moved from Lacey to West Sacramento, California in 2021, but allegedly continued to have contact with the victim.
She allegedly brought the victim to a rental she was staying at in Tacoma during a visit to Washington in 2021 and sexually assaulted him, according to the news release.
“As a result of Detective (Tim) O’Dell’s investigation, the Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested an arrest warrant for Polk,” the Centralia Police Department said in a news release.
“Detective O’Dell also discovered Polk was currently employed as a teacher with the Davis Joint Unified School District, and their first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 26,” according to the news release.
Court documents indicate that Polk was “teaching elementary and middle school students.”
Lewis County Superior Court issued a $10,000 warrant for Polk’s arrest on Aug. 20.
The following day, O’Dell drove to West Sacramento to assist the West Sacramento Police Department with arresting Polk, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Polk was arrested by the West Sacramento Police Department, with O’Dell’s assistance, at her West Sacramento home on Wednesday, Aug. 21, according to the Centralia Police Department.
“At this time, Polk is incarcerated in the Yolo County jail and is awaiting extradition to Lewis County,” the Centralia Police Department said in a news release.
“The Centralia Police Department wishes to thank the West Sacramento Police Department for their quick assistance with Natasha Polk's arrest,” The Centralia Police Department said in a news release. “This investigation is ongoing, and no additional information will be provided at this time.”
The Centralia School District has been cooperative with the Centralia Police Department investigation “and will continue to do so,” Superintendent Lisa Grant said Thursday.
“The district has been made aware that a former educator, Natasha Polk, has been charged with a crime against a child related to her time in our district,” Grant said. “ … Because the safety and wellbeing of our students is one of our most sacred priorities, we are both saddened and troubled by these charges.”
The district encourages anyone with information about Polk that may be of interest to law enforcement to contact the Centralia Police Department.
“The school district has been advised by council not to make any further statements about Ms. Polk pending final resolution of the charges against her,” Grant said.
