Former Texas Teacher Accused of Sexually Abusing a Student Under 14

A former teacher at a Texas intermediate school is accused of sexually abusing a student under the age of 14 for three years.

Police arrested former Tomball Intermediate School teacher Marka Lee Bodine, 31, on Saturday, charging her with continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, the Tomball Police Department said in a statement.

Bodine was released from the Harris County Jail after she posted $100,000 bond, KRIV reported.

The victim told the police that he began exchanging text messages with Bodine after they played an online video game together, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KPRC.

He claimed that they later exchanged sexually explicit photos and he had sex with her at the age of 13.

The sexual abuse, which included encounters in the classroom and in her car, went on for three years, the victim said.

Bodine initially told the school principal that a former student obtained private pictures of her as a means of harassing her before confessing that she had a sexual relationship with the boy and traded explicit photos with him, according to KPRC.

The Tomball Independent School District announced that it “immediately began an administrative investigation” as soon as it learned of the alleged sexual abuse.

“The employee was then placed on administrative leave, resigned, and is no longer employed with Tomball ISD,” the statement read.

The district added that the police and Children’s Protective Services were notified and are investigating the situation.

“The safety of our students in Tomball ISD is our No. 1 priority, and any substantiated allegations of employee misconduct will not be tolerated,” the statement said.

“The district will be providing the appropriate social-emotional support to students and staff; we ask that the media and public respect the safety and privacy of the campus community,” the statement added.