A 33-year-old social worker was arrested after pretending to be a 13-year-old student for a year, driven by unusual personal reasons.
In Massachusetts, 33-year-old Shelby Hewitt was arrested for pretending to be a high school student for over a year.
This unusual story has raised many questions about her motives and the impact of her actions on the real students.
Woman pretended to be high school student for entire year
Shelby managed to enroll in three different high schools: Jeremiah E. Burke High, Brighton High, and English High.
She used fake documents and a false identity to gain admission.
Her aliases included names like “Daniella,” and she created an elaborate backstory to explain her presence in the schools.
While she was posing as a teenager, Shelby interacted with students and even participated in school activities.
She joined the basketball team and got braces to fit in better.
Many students and faculty were unaware of her true age, which is quite shocking considering the significant age difference.
Shelby’s actions went unnoticed for quite some time, which has led to criticism of the school systems involved.
The woman allegedly has mental health concerns over past traumas
Shelby’s behavior has sparked discussions about mental health and the reasons behind her actions.
Shelby claimed to be a victim of sex trafficking, which added complexity to her story.
Her lawyer stated that she has a long history of mental illness.
He mentioned that Shelby has been struggling with severe mental health challenges for many years.
“This is a young lady that has severe mental health challenges and she has been dealing with it on a life-long basis, it is well documented and she is continuing to deal with it,” Timothy said after a hearing last year.
“I think the bigger question is how, and what does that say about the safeguards in place,” he added.
“The why, you know, will be answered,” he continued, “but again, as I mentioned in court, this is a young lady that has severe mental health challenges…”
This raises the question of how mental health issues can lead someone to take extreme actions like this.
Students and parents react to shocking case of woman posing as highschool student
One student, Janell Lamons, attended school with Shelby and expressed her shock upon learning about the situation.
Janell said she felt betrayed because she believed Shelby was her peer.
“I’m still waiting for answers from BPS because I feel like they’re not doing anything about the situation, and I also just feel like they’re playing games,” Janell Lamons said.
“We did become friends and we exchange phone numbers and talked on the phone sometimes,” said Janell.
“Sometimes she wouldn’t answer because she claims she was hanging out with her sisters,” she added.
Another student’s mother, Robin Williams, voiced her concerns as well, stating that their children were the real victims in this scenario.
“We are the victims, not her. She’s the person who pretended to be a student 16, 13 years old sitting among our children.”
The idea that an adult was posing as a teenager and mingling with minors understandably caused alarm among parents and students alike.
Shelby’s actions also included spending time with friends outside of school.
She maintained relationships with adults and even traveled to Colorado with them.
This dual life raises further questions about her intentions and how she saw her role within the teenage social circle.
Some of her friends were unaware of her true age and were shocked when they learned of her arrest.
She was arrested after pretending to be 13-year-old student for a year over bizarre reason
The police investigation revealed that Shelby faced multiple charges, including identity fraud and forgery.
She was charged with three counts of forgery, two counts under common law, one count of identity fraud, and more.
After her arrest, Shelby was charged with several crimes.
She faced three counts of forgery, which means she created fake documents.
She also had two counts of forgery under common law. Additionally, she was charged with one count of uttering, which is using a fake document.
There was one count of identity fraud, which means she pretended to be someone else.
Shelby was also charged with stealing more than $1,200 and making false claims to her employer.
Many people wonder how Shelby was able to navigate school life without being detected for so long.
It points to gaps in the system that allow an adult to blend in with teenagers.
