A teacher at Clay High School has been fired and faces felony charges after prosecutors say the man sent nude photographs and forcibly kissed a 15-year-old student.
The educator is also accused of exchanging inappropriate messages with one of the girl's friends. The teacher, 25-year-old Caleb Long, was charged Wednesday with three felonies — child solicitation, child seduction and disseminating material harmful to minors, as reported by the South Bend Tribune.
Long Told Student He was Interested in Her and Would 'Go To Jail' if She Told Anyone
According to court documents, the student contacted police in December about sexually explicit messages Long had sent her. One of the girl's friends also showed investigators texts where Long told her he was interested in her and that he would "Go. To. Jail." if she told anyone about the communications.
Investigators say Long sent text messages to the 15-year-old student that discussed explicit sexual content. Long also allegedly sent the girl three photos of himself naked.
Long Threatened to Have the Victim Expelled
Long also allegedly touched the girl on one occasion when the two of them were alone in his classroom. Court documents say the girl told investigators that Long locked the door and started kissing her then threatened to have her expelled if she told anyone.
One of the girl's friends, who is described in court documents as a 16-year-old girl, also showed police a series of messages Long had sent her on Tik Tok and through texts. Prosecutors allege Long asked the 16-year-old if she was alright with him messaging her and asked her why she got "weirded" out when discussing sexual topics.
The 16-year-old stopped messaging Long when he said he was "interested in her." Long allegedly messaged the girls offering them "infinite hush money" and said he would pass them in his class without them doing any work if they didn't tell anyone about the communications. In another text, Long allegedly said "I. Will. Go. To. Jail. You both have to realize that."
South Bend School District Releases Statement
A statement from the South Bend Community School Corporation said Long was placed on leave in early December while the matter was being investigated and that the district has since terminated him.
"The district has been in full cooperation with all agencies involved in the investigation," the statement read in part. "Mr. Long has been notified of his termination from SBCSC. No further information can be released pending criminal charges.
"The safety and well-being of our students are the foremost priorities of the South Bend Community School Corporation. Students, staff, and parents should report any concerns to our Quick Tip portal."
Public records indicate Long started working as an "educational assistant" in the Penn Harris Madison school district in 2020 and moved to Clay in 2022 as a social studies teacher.
Jail logs show Long was arrested as of Wednesday afternoon and is expected to be arraigned Thursday. Long faces three separate criminal charges and faces a maximum of 14½ years in prison if convicted on all counts.
