Washington County corrections officer charged with sending 16-year-old girl explicit images

A Washington County corrections officer is facing felony charges after allegedly sharing inappropriate pictures and videos with an underage high school student.

Police said 27-year-old Curtis Gardner was arrested on Tuesday and taken to the Washington County Jail, where he was unable to post $150,000 bail.

According to police paperwork, Gardner was using Snapchat to communicate with a 16-year-old female student at Ringgold High School.

The student reported receiving inappropriate pictures and videos from Gardner that were sexual in nature. The teen told a Washington County correctional employee who was visiting her school for a career fair in April. The officer she reported it to then contacted the Ringgold School District Police Department, who initiated a child line for the incident.

The student also reported receiving a selfie from Gardner "wearing some kind of uniform." Police said the student reported that she zoomed in on the patch on his shirt, which read "Washington County Corrections Officer."

During an interview with police, Gardner admitted to taking sexual photos and sending them on Snapchat but denied sending them to the underage girl.

"Gardner stated that he has a lot of (inappropriate) pictures and does send them to people on Snapchat after they rise to his criteria," police paperwork said.

KDKA-TV reached out to the Washington County Prison Board to ask how long Gardner has been a corrections officer and his current work status. The chairman, Nick Sherman, sent a statement saying, "As this is an active police investigation, Washington County does not comment on ongoing investigations or personnel matters."

Gardner faces charges including unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.

"I think that it's sad that that happened," said Washington County resident Blair Good. "You're supposed to be in a position of authority."

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 29 at 3 p.m.