Three male teachers at rural Indiana high school arrested after passing around male student
Three male teachers at rural Indiana high school arrested after passing around male student nputnam.k12.in.us

Three male teachers at a US high school have been arrested and charged on suspicion of child seduction after admitted to passing around a 16-year-old student.

Officials were called in after the male student revealed on 18 January the school band director, a swimming coach and a substitute Spanish teacher all engaged in physical relationships with him several times on school grounds.

The boy, who cannot be name for legal reasons, claimed that many of the alleged acts, which range from touching and kissing to having sex in a car, took place on the grounds of North Putnam High School in Roachdale, central Indiana.

According to Indiana state police, those arrested and charged were: substitute Spanish teacher Nicholas Vester, 24, who worked at the school for 12 weeks last autumn; band director Craig Rogers, 24, currently on paid leave; and volunteer swimming coach Brandon Largent, 20, a student at Ivy Tech community college.

The case has shocked the small community, where 580 students attend the school and everybody knows each other.

Former student Jamie Hintel, who graduated from the high school in 1984, insists that a situation like this was unheard off during her time at the school.

She told 59 News: "It makes me sick. I've got a grandson following in my footsteps and I would hate for someone to get a hold of him."

Police say that Vester met the student at the high school in October and the two exchanged text messages and pictures, including nude photos.

Vester apparently later introduced the student to Rogers after the two adults had discussed the boy. All three suspects sent text messages and photographs to the youth.

Reports say that the three teachers all individually and separately engaged in various acts of a sexual nature with the boy.

In Indiana, it is illegal for teachers, coaches or anyone who is a guardian of children to have a physical relationship with a minor whom they look after.

The men all face one count each of the felony child seduction.