Ex-teacher in Duluth charged with sending sexual messages to former student
DULUTH, Minn. — An ex-teacher in Duluth is accused of sending "sexually explicit" messages to a former student, who was 15 when the exchange happened, prosecutors say.
The 32-year-old man is charged with engaging in electronic communication relating or describing sexual conduct with a child, court documents filed in St. Louis County last month say.
According to the complaint, in March, police in Hermantown learned of the alleged crime, which happened a year prior.
The 15-year-old student saved the Snapchat messages, in which the teacher made sexual advances and admitted "I could be fired even for this," the complaint states. The girl said she had added her former teacher on the app as a "joke," according to the complaint.
The girl sent screenshots of the messages back to the man, requesting payment to prevent her from releasing them publicly. Financial records show he made two payments to the girl in March, according to the complaint.
She was not his student at the time, but he had been her physical education teacher in elementary school, the complaint states.
The man resigned from his teaching position in March.
The man was charged by summons and is set to appear in court on Monday. The maximum sentence for his felony charge is five years in prison.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
