The band director at a Fort Myers high school has been arrested, accused of having sexual conversations with a student through social media and possessing child pornography.
Leroy Irving Jr., 48, was arrested on Tuesday, May 12, by the United States Marshals Service, according to the Fort Myers Police Department.
Irving is employed at Dunbar High School. Since March, the police department had investigated him.
The School District of Lee County told the News-Press in a statement that Irving was suspended in March and prohibited from returning to the school pending the investigation.
Now that the investigation has concluded, the school district is now initiating formal disciplinary proceedings.
Detectives learned that Irving used several social media applications to communicate with a student, with whom he had conversations that were “sexual in nature,” police said.
Irving faces charges of an authority figure engaging in a romantic relationship with a student, possession of child pornography and tampering with evidence in a criminal proceeding.
He remains in custody. His bond has not been set. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 15.
Tayeba Hussein is a breaking news reporter for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach her at thussein@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee schools band director accused of sex chats with student, child porn
Reporting by Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
