A fifth-grade teacher has been charged of sex crimes against a child, according to the Reading Eagle.
Michael Conner Jr., who teaches at Central Middle School in Reading, Pennsylvania, was charged on Monday with sexual abuse of a child and aggravated indecent assault, after an investigation began on Sept. 19, according to the Reading Eagle. Conner has been placed on leave from the school while being held in Berks County Prison with a bail of $500,000.
Berks County Detectives opened their investigation into Conner after receiving a tip that the teacher was engaging in sexual misconduct with a student, the Reading Eagle reported. (RELATED: Elementary School Photographer Accused Of Sexually Mistreating Children)
Through two social media accounts, Conner allegedly sent the 13-year-old student sexually explicit photos and videos and asked the student to send images back, the Reading Eagle reported. Conner allegedly sexually abused the student after picking the student up from school and driving them to a private location.
View of the corridor at Fallsington Elementary School in Levittown, Pennsylvania on December 16, 2021. – As Joshua Waldorf was running for a third term on the Pennsbury school board in November, one particularly heated debate triggered a flood of vitriolic messages to his inbox — one of them urging him to shoot himself. (Photo by KYLIE COOPER/AFP via Getty Images)
“The Reading School District follows Pennsylvania law and best practices in our hiring,” the district said in a statement to WGAL 8 News. “This includes mandatory background checks, verification of appropriate licensure, and reference checks. There were no previous incidents or allegations involving this individual. Our priority, today and every day, is to ensure the safety of our students and staff. A crisis team has been made available for any student or staff member who needs to talk.”
Reading School District and Berks County Detectives did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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