A former Mesquite teacher and coach is accused of sexually grooming a child he had access to at church.
Matthan Timothy Lough, 32, was arrested and charged with child grooming, a third-degree felony.
The Mesquite Police Department received a report of possible child grooming at the Christian Center of Mesquite on October 2, according to a press release issued Wednesday.
Investigators discovered that Lough had prior access to children as a teacher and coach at Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy in Mesquite. PTAA Texas is a K-12 charter school district with six campuses in North Texas, including two in Mesquite.
Online records show Lough taught at the school from 2022 through 2024.
Lough also accessed kids while serving as a club volleyball coach for a Mesquite team, according to police.
Anyone with information regarding any other offenses involving Lough is asked to contact the Mesquite Police Department at 972-216-6701.
Lough was arrested and booked into the Mesquite Jail on December 4 and released the next day on a $10,000 bond, a jail official confirmed to Texas Scorecard.
Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy Chief Academic Officer Derrick Love released a statement in response to Lough’s arrest:
PTAA is aware of a public release issued by the Mesquite Police Department involving an individual identified as Matthan Lough. To provide clarity for our community, this individual is not an employee of PTAA and has not been employed by PTAA during the 2025–2026 school year.
PTAA maintains strict hiring and safety practices, including full background checks for all staff, contractors, and volunteers. As this matter is part of an active police investigation, all questions should be directed to the Mesquite Police Department. PTAA will not comment further at this time.
Lough holds a teaching certificate for music, which is under review by the Texas Education Agency.
Hundreds of Texas educators have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children in just the past few years. Thousands have been reported to the TEA for sexual misconduct.
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