CHELSEA, Vt. (AP) — A 16-year-old Vermont student has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting five classmates at school.

Officials say Conner Tatro is being charged as an adult because of the severity of the charges. The Valley News reports (http://bit.ly/2uF9qro ) Tatro is charged with sexually assaulting the girls in several locations on the campus of Thetford Academy.

Tatro’s attorney says the charges, while serious, are just allegations. He declined to comment further.

Tatro was released into the custody of his mother after his Wednesday court appearance. A number listed for her was not in service.

Thetford Academy officials say Tatro has been banned from campus.

The day school serves students in grades 7 to 12. Thetford Academy’s website says the campus sits on 295 acres (119 hectares) of field and forest.

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