A Plano private school teacher is accused of using a messaging app to groom a 15-year-old student for sex.
Jacob Thomas Allred, 32, was arrested Tuesday and charged with child grooming, a third-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison.
He is the latest Texas teacher charged under the state’s new anti-grooming law, passed last year to protect children from sexual abuse and trafficking.
Allred reportedly taught ninth grade at Great Lakes Academy in Plano, which specializes in students with learning disabilities.
The Plano Police Department said Tuesday they had received an allegation against Allred on January 8, after the victim told her parents about Allred’s behavior.
The student said Allred told her in October that he had sexual feelings for her, then began sending her explicit messages using the Discord app. Police said she showed them screenshots of the messages, and investigators later found messages in Allred’s phone that confirmed the victim’s account of events.
The school said Tuesday that Allred had resigned.
Both private and government schools are required to notify the state within seven business days if an educator resigns or is terminated following an incident of misconduct. Allred’s Texas teaching certificate does not currently indicate that he is under investigation by the Texas Education Agency.
Allred was released from Collin County Jail on a $25,000 bond. A judge also issued an emergency protective order restricting Allred’s activities.
Plano police say there may be other victims, as Allred had communicated with other students via Discord. They asked anyone with information to contact their Special Victims Unit tip line at (972) 941-2044.
Scores of Texas teachers have been arrested for sex crimes involving students.
