Kentucky high school teacher accused of asking student for nude photo
Just days after the McCracken County High School principal was charged for allegedly not reporting abuse, another school employee is facing criminal charges over inappropriate behavior toward students.
The McCracken County sheriff’s office said Friday that it has charged Daniel Edwards, 29, with harassing communications, a class B misdemeanor, after a former student told investigators that Edwards had asked for a naked photograph last summer.
The school’s website indicates that Edwards is an algebra teacher.
“The former student stated they had not had any recent communications with Edwards, adding their only previous relationship was student/teacher and athlete/coach. The victim stated the request for naked photographs was completely unsolicited,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
The sheriff’s office said it began investigating Edwards Feb. 6, after receiving an allegation regarding “inappropriate communications” between Edwards and a different student.
Edwards was served with a criminal summons on Friday afternoon, and the McCracken County Schools superintendent was notified of the charges against the teacher, according to the sheriff.
The sheriff’s office had said previously that it was investigating, but it had not identified the teacher because no charges had been filed.
The case is one of several involving McCracken County High School administrators and employees.
John Parks, the school’s fishing coach, was charged Feb. 14 with first-degree sexual abuse involving a male juvenile, as well as possession of child pornography depicting another minor.
The school’s former athletics director is under investigation, the sheriff’s office said.
An 18-year-old student, Princekumar Joshi, was charged Feb. 6 with two counts of prohibited use of an electronic communications system to procure a minor for a sex offense.
And on Wednesday, Principal Michael Ceglinski was charged for allegedly failing to report suspected child abuse. He allegedly knew about two incidents but did not notify law enforcement as state law requires.
In addition, Ceglinski, and McCracken County Director of Pupil Personnel Brian Bowland both face a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct. The sheriff’s office alleges that, rather than notifying law enforcement, they initiated their own administrative investigation into allegations by another student against Joshi.
Ceglinski and Bowland were suspended with pay, WPSD reported.
