A middle school teacher who resigned while under investigation for alleged sexual offenses with a teenager was hired by another school district while he was still being investigated.
Jonathan Burns, a former math teacher at Potomac Middle School in Dumfries, Virginia was arrested Aug. 25 while at his new school, AG Wright Middle School in Stafford, according to NBC Washington. Burns was allegedly under investigation for sending sexual texts, known as “sexting” to two students and sending a nude photo of himself.
He allegedly asked one of the victims to “send pictures of himself” one of the victim’s family members told Fox5DC. When the victim refused, Burns allegedly asked, “‘Why, are your parts not pretty?’ And proceeded to also text” asking if that victim was “sexually active.”
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: #PWCPD has charged a 35-year-old #Woodbridge man in connection to inappropriate communications he allegedly had with two separate underage victims, both of whom were known to the accused as his former students. More info; pic.twitter.com/5zZVs03EvT
— Prince William County Police Department (@PWCPolice) August 31, 2023
Burns allegedly began texting teenagers in March who were underage at the time, and left his teaching position with Potomac Middle School the same month, according to the Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD). Burns resigned in June.
The alleged texts between Burns and the 17-year-old former student from the school reportedly turned sexual in July and on July 27 an investigation began, according to the PWCPD.
“On July 27, detectives began an investigation into inappropriate communication involving a former teacher with Prince William County Schools that was reported to have occurred in Prince William County on July 2023,” the PWCPD confirmed in a statement on Twitter. (RELATED: Police Arrest High School Football Coach For Allegedly Possessing Child Pornography)
Two victims were identified during the investigation and the PWCPD noted that Burns had allegedly sent the teenagers “inappropriate and sexually explicit messages and solicited sexual acts” during the text conversations, according to the police department. The victims reported having “no physical contact.”
After the investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant and Burns was charged with six counts of using a communication system to facilitate certain offenses involving children, according to the PWCPD.
Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) explained to Fox5DC that Burns had “no prior convictions for barrier crimes” and had “no record” on file with the Department of Social Services. Prince William County Public School also allegedly informed SCPS that there were “no issues or concerns” with Burns.
The Daily Caller reached out to Stafford County Public Schools, Prince William County Public Schools, and the Prince William County Police Department for a statement but did not receive a response back by the time of publication.