WHITE HOUSE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee high school teacher was arrested after authorities determined he had sex with a student.
Christopher Gunnar Scholato, 26, was charged with statutory rape and two other crimes Tuesday, news outlets reported. White House High School officials said the administration received reports in early February that he was having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old female who was enrolled there.
The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office said Scholato, who’s also a football coach, met the student away from campus at least two times in December. She was a cheerleader, and the teacher was her senior project supervisor, according to WSMV-TV.
Investigators added that Scholato asked for naked pictures from the teenager and sent unsolicited, explicit photos of himself to her.
He was charged with exploitation of a minor by electronic means, solicitation of a minor and four counts of statutory rape by an authority figure. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Jeremy Johnson, Sumner County’s director of schools, said the teacher has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the charges, WTVF-TV reported.
