Police: Harper Woods teacher offered to raise student's grade for sex acts

A former Harper Woods teacher has been charged with allegedly offering to raise a student's grade if she performed sex acts on him, police announced Thursday.

In June, the 15-year-old girl asked Charles Penn about extra work to improve her marks in his economic class at Harper Woods High School, investigators said in a statement.

The instructor's response "was overheard by another female student who corroborated what had occurred," the release said. "Harper Woods Police took immediate action and completed a thorough investigation."

During the probe, Penn left his job with the school district, police said.

The 41-year-old Southfield resident was arraigned Thursday in 32-A District Court in Harper Woods on one count of accosting children for immoral purposes. Judge Russell Ethridge set bond at $50,000.

A preliminary examination is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 2. If convicted, Penn faces up to four years in prison.