South Philly charter school teacher charged with sexual abuse of former student

A Christopher Columbus Charter School math teacher was arrested last week and charged with sexually abusing an underage former student and soliciting naked pictures of her.

Michael O’Brien, 48, of Philadelphia, was “immediately terminated” by the South Philadelphia charter school after it learned of the charges from the Philadelphia police, Christopher Columbus CEO Nathan Blodgett said in a letter to the community Tuesday. He said he was “saddened, shocked, and deeply troubled” by the charges.

According to the criminal complaint, O’Brien was arrested Thursday and charged with sexual abuse and corruption of a minor for engaging in “sexual communication” with the girl, “including soliciting naked images of the minor and sending naked images of himself to her.”

O’Brien “engaged in sexual intercourse with said minor over various dates in 2024” and instructed the girl “to delete all messages in her phone related to his contact with her,” according to the complaint. It does not specify the girl’s age; in his letter to the community, Blodgett referred to the victim as a former student.

O’Brien — who was released on Friday after paying the required 10% of his $100,000 bail — could not be reached for comment Tuesday. According to Pennsylvania Department of Education records, he has worked in education for 26 years.

He taught eighth-grade math at Christopher Columbus, where he had worked since 2021, according to the school.

Blodgett said in his letter that all of the charter’s faculty “are required to pass strict protocols before being hired,” including criminal background checks. He said the charter would continue to cooperate with law enforcement and would provide counseling services to students, families, and staff upon request.

Blodgett also said that “our thoughts and prayers go out to the young woman identified as the victim in this case.”

Inquirer staff writer Chris Palmer contributed to this article.