UPDATED September 2.
A Waco High School teacher’s aide has been arrested and fired over allegations he sexually groomed a 16-year-old female student via text messages and social media.
Jody Deshawn Edwards, 34, was charged with child grooming, a third-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison.
The Waco Independent School District Police Department investigated the allegations.
According to a report by KWTX, the student told investigators that Edwards approached her in a school hallway and said, “If you weren’t so young, I would snatch you up.”
Edwards then began to message the girl on social media and via text messages, according to evidence investigators found on the girl’s phone.
In an August 21 message, Edwards told the teen she was “more mature than most of the women I know” and said, “I’d give you whatever you wanted” and “Need you for myself.”
The arrest affidavit also alleges Edwards sent the student messages stating, “I can’t shake the feeling you give me,” “feel like I’m young again around you,” and “you turn me on by just walking by.”
Edwards also allegedly told the girl she was welcome to come to his house to watch movies “or whatever when you need a getaway from your mom and stuff.”
Waco High School Principal Joseph Alexander notified families by email about the arrest of an unnamed campus aide.
District spokeswoman Jill Anderson confirmed to Texas Scorecard that Edwards started working for Waco ISD in mid-Spring 2025, during the last school year, as a campus support aide at Waco High School.
She also issued a statement saying Waco ISD “is deeply committed to the safety, well-being, and education of every student in our care.”
On Monday, August 25, the Waco ISD Police Department was made aware of allegations of inappropriate communication involving a campus aide at Waco High School. The appropriate authorities were contacted, and following a criminal investigation by the Waco ISD Police Department, the individual was taken into custody. The individual is no longer employed by the district.
The safety of our students is and will always remain our top priority. We expect our employees to foster an environment where our students feel safe, supported, and valued. We want to reassure families that we are taking this matter seriously and thank them for trusting Waco ISD with the education of their students.
Edwards was arrested on August 26 and booked into the McLennan County Jail. Bond was set at $10,000.
State records show Edwards was certified as an educational aide in February 2025. His teaching certificate 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 of educator sexual misconduct complaints have been reported to the TEA since the agency began keeping organized records in 2021.
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