Frisco elementary school educator arrested for invasive visual recording, officials say
A Frisco educator has been arrested and charged with invasive visual recording, the police department said.
Frisco police said they began investigating Michael Cheek, the 48-year-old third-grade educator who worked at Billy Gene Phillips Elementary School, after allegations of misconduct were made.
The arrest report obtained by CBS News Texas says that Cheek committed a crime on Feb. 9 inside his classroom at Phillips Elementary School.
Police: allegations involve 10-year-old student in classroom
The offense report says the 48-year-old math teacher called a 10-year-old third grader to the back of the class to help with her homework.
The report says the student noticed that Cheek touched her inappropriately and that he took a photo with his phone from underneath the skirt she was wearing as she bent over a desk.
The report says the student later told her mother about what happened, who contacted police.
Officers confronted the teacher at the school and seized his phone. The report says officers discovered inappropriate photos of the student who made the outcry.
The student told police it wasn't the first time it had happened and believes another student was also victimized.
"Safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority," Frisco ISD says
The Frisco Independent School District said it is aware of Cheek's arrest, and he has been placed on administrative leave and is not allowed to enter district property.
"The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority, and as soon as the District became aware of the allegations, we began working in full cooperation with the Frisco Police Department," Frisco ISD said in a statement. "We trust law enforcement to conduct a complete and thorough investigation into these allegations. We will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement as the investigation moves forward.
"The District takes allegations of this nature very seriously. We know that families entrust us with their children every day, and any violation of that trust is unacceptable. When allegations of this nature arise, we move swiftly to protect our students and support law enforcement."
The district said it is limited in the details it can share as it is an ongoing criminal investigation, but that Frisco ISD and Phillips counselors and campus administrators are available to support students as needed. Families with concerns about their child can contact the campus directly.
Anyone with information regarding this case or related offenses is requested to contact the Frisco Police Department at 972-292-6010, or by using the Frisco PD app.
Invasive visual recording is a state jail felony punishable by 180 days to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
