A 20-year-old Silver Lake man pleaded guilty Wednesday to having a sexual relationship with a middle school student while he was working as a janitor at the Toutle Lake School District in 2022.
Jaren Lee Elf, who initially faced second-degree rape of a child, told The Daily News he pleaded guilty to assault and contact with a minor for immoral purposes.
The student told authorities Elf was the teen’s boyfriend, police records show.
Then-Toutle School District Superintendent Bob Garrett called the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office on Apr. 15, 2022, according to court records, to report a middle school student was in a sexual relationship with Elf, a 19-year-old janitor.
Garrett said he was alerted by a counselor who was told by a student she saw the two having sex. Later the victim confirmed to authorities the pair had sex at the minor’s home.
The victim told authorities about the relationship with Elf, who went by the name Austin on the instant messaging app Snapchat. The victim confirmed Elf was aware the victim was underage, the police report states.
Elf admitted to knowing the victim from work and sharing messages via Snapchat, the report continues.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4. According to court documents, he could face a one-to-three-month stint in the Cowlitz County Jail.
District staff said Elf no longer works for the district and is not allowed on the premises.
