Emily Durden, a 19-year-old substitute teacher at Crest High School in Shelby, North Carolina, was arrested for sending sexually explicit images and videos to minors.
Substitute teacher arrested for sending sexually explicit photos and videos to her students
According to the Cleveland County Police Department, Durden faces two counts of indecent liberties with a student, three counts of showing harmful material to a minor and two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
This came to light when the father of one of the affected students reported the teacher to school authorities for sending inappropriate messages and videos to his son.
An investigation was then launched by the sheriff’s office, which found that Durden had allegedly initiated conversations and shared the material with several 13- and 14-year-old students.
Subsequently, in an interview with investigators, the substitute teacher admitted to sending sexually explicit messages to her students.
As a result, Durden was held in a Cleveland County jail for one night, subsequently posting $50,000 bail, only to be released the following day. However, she cannot go near the school, nor can she have any contact with students.
A spokesperson for Cleveland County Schools made it known that Durden met the requirements to be a substitute teacher in the district because she is over 18 years old and a high school graduate.
In this context, there is a substitute teacher policy that gives priority to those with a license, however, “the school system will employ substitute teachers as deemed appropriate by the administration and in accordance with State Board policies.”
Although the teacher is now released, investigators are trying to determine how many students Durden communicated with, as the investigation is ongoing.
