Alissa McCommon allegedly raped a young boy and sexually pursued students after making friends with them playing video games, police said. (Mugshot from Sept. 8, 2023, arrest; Photo on the left is from her Sept. 28, 2023 arrest. Courtesy of the Covington Police Department)
A Covington, Tennessee, woman who worked as an elementary school teacher before she was accused of raping a young boy is pregnant with the victim's baby, prosecutors alleged while playing an alarming phone call in court Tuesday.
The phone call, first reported by local NBC affiliate WMC, allegedly shows that Alissa McCommon, 38, contacted the victim and said she would "raise this baby and love this baby, and I'll do it by myself."
As Law&Crime reported days ago, McCommon was initially allowed bond in the child rape case but was rearrested for alleged coercion of a witness, aggravated stalking, and harassment.
The Covington Police Department announced last Thursday that McCommon used a "specific code word known to the juvenile as a code word McCommon would previously utilize to confirm that the juvenile was alone, often before sending nude photographs on SnapChat."
In the phone call played in court, McCommon allegedly said "I will never text you again" and "You will never hear from me again."
"Just please don't say anything. I'm under so much stress and I'm so scared all the time," said the caller. "I tried to tell you. When it comes out looking like you, we don't have to talk anymore. Just please God, tell me you're not going to say anything. I'll never speak to you again."
While prosecutors in the Tipton County District Attorney's office hailed that call as damning proof that McCommon is pregnant with the alleged victim's child, the suspect's attorney Jere Mason countered by questioning whether prosecutors had actually proved that his client's voice was the one on the call.
"You have to go off… what is the actual proof? There was no witness that was presented as a victim or anyone like that to testify this was her," Mason said, according to WMC.
Mason previously said that the defense is frustrated by the "witch hunt on social media" and asked the public to let the justice system "do its job."
McCommon was first arrested in early September on accusations that she raped a boy 12 years old or under at her home in 2021, but the allegations went beyond that.
Authorities alleged there could be multiple victims that the former teacher befriended by playing video games and interacting with them on social media — only to send inappropriate photos and seek out illicit sexual encounters.
McCommon taught fifth grade at Crestview Elementary until this school year, according to the Covington Leader. She reportedly joined Charger Academy, teaching fourth-grade English/Language arts. That's where she was working when the school district suspended her without pay on Aug. 24.
Authorities said that the rape case landed on their radar on the day McCommon was suspended, when a parent came forward with the allegations.
The teacher ultimately resigned from her job, the Covington Leader reported.
The defendant found herself in even more trouble while out on bond last week when she allegedly used an unknown phone number to communicate in code with a victim, suggesting he would "regret doing this."
"The actions of McCommon are not only appalling, but CPD is also concerned about this apparent violation of her bond conditions," Covington Police Chief Donna Turner previously said. "Due to the nature of the communications, we are concerned others may have been contacted."
Alberto Luperon and Jason Kandel contributed to this report.