A fourth-grade teacher in Covington, Tennessee, has been arrested for allegedly raping a 12-year-old boy and befriending other young students online.
Alissa McCommon, 38, was arrested outside her home for allegedly sexually assaulting a student in 2021, WREG reported.
McCommon also befriended students online and played video games with them online. She allegedly went as far as to send the students inappropriate photos of herself and then requested to have sex with the students. Multiple juveniles came forward with the allegations, according to the Covington Police Department.
The mother-of-two was suspended without pay from Challenger Academy on August 24 after a parent came forward with the allegations.
“It is unbearable,” Covington Police Chief Donna Turner told the news outlet. “It’s unspeakable and it’s 100 percent preventable. I think that’s why the detectives and we are so passionate about making sure victims are okay.”
McCommon admits to having an inappropriate relationship with students online, but she maintains her innocence that she did not sexually assault a former student.
“We believe that it’s borderline a witch hunt on social media and that’s frustrating to us,” Jere Mason, her defense attorney said, according to WREG. “What we’re asking is that the public be patient and allow the justice system to do its job and not create further persecution on the alleged victims or on the family of the defendant.”
Tipton County sheriff began working with Covington Police detectives after receiving the same allegations from a juvenile in the county.
She was booked in Tipton County Jail and is being held on a $25,000 bond. McCommon is expected to appear in court on October 13.
The investigation is still ongoing with additional charges expected to be brought against her.
In Alabama, a math teacher was arrested for allegedly having sex with two of her teenage students, Breitbart News reported.