Jeremy Lee
(PCSD file photo)
By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 26-year-old Cushing man has been accused of sexting a 14-year-old student in the Perkins-Tryon School system where he was employed as a paraprofessional for academic excellence for three years, according to court records.
Jeremy Rayshune Lee was ordered jailed on $10,000 bail pending a June 3 court appearance on a charge of engaging in sexual communication with a minor by use of technology, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine on conviction.
At an initial appearance, Payne County Special District Judge Katherine Thomas told Lee that a special condition of his bail is that he have no contact with the victim or anyone under 18 unless a family member.
An investigation began at 9:10 am on April 24 when School Resource Officer Shane Dean was contacted by Perkins-Tryon Middle School Principal Bruce Williams that “a parent called in and stated a student was having an inappropriate relationship with a teacher,” an affidavit alleged.
The Perkins officer wrote in an affidavit, “I called (the student’s) father to set up a forensic interview and explained the allegations. He stated that (his daughter) is always talking about how nice one of the teachers is to her and his name is Mr. Lee.”
Shortly before 1 pm that day, “I was contacted by Perkins-Tryon Middle School Counselor Crystal Owens,” who said that there were photos of a Snapchat conversation between the student and the defendant, the officer alleged in his affidavit.
“In the photos, Jeremy was showing his abdominal muscles and his penis. There was also a conversation between the two where they call each other babe and say they love each other,” the affidavit alleged.
At 3:18 that day, the student was interviewed at the Saville Child Advocacy Center in Stillwater, the affidavit said.
“Due to not knowing where these photos were received and sent from and that neither live in the city of Perkins, I requested Payne County Investigator Tomm Edwards’ assistance,” who met him at the Saville Center, the Perkins officer wrote in his affidavit.
During a forensic interview, the student said she “loves her teacher, Mr. Lee. Mr. Lee gets her, and she gets him. When asked if she has ever talked to Mr. Lee outside of school, (the student) denied it,” the affidavit alleged.
When the student was shown a photo of part of a conversation between herself and the defendant, she shut down and asked the female interviewer at the Saville Center where she got the photo, the affidavit alleged. The student “confirmed that the conversation and photos were from Jeremy Lee on Snapchat in the My Twinn thread. This concluded the interview,” the affidavit alleged.
At 6:50 pm that day, “Investigator Edwards, Perkins Police Chief Robert Ernst, and I went to the Cushing High School to try to make contact with Jeremy, who works as a janitor there in the evenings,” the Perkins officer wrote in his affidavit.
“Jeremy stated that he has (the student) in his class, but that she sometimes comes to his classroom at other times. Jeremy explained it is up to (the student’s) current hour teacher on whether or not she could come down to his class at times,” other than her scheduled hour, the affidavit alleged.
“Jeremy admitted to sending a picture of his penis, abdominal muscles and various other pictures to (the student) over Snapchat. Jeremy said (the student) sent him various pictures,” over Snapchat as well, the affidavit alleged.
“Jeremy said he has kissed (the student) five times and it happened in the last two days at (the student’s) house while giving her his necklace,” the affidavit alleged.
“Jeremy stated he has attended trainings for paraprofessionals in the school setting about inappropriate relationships with students, and he knew this relationship and the associated sexting was wrong. Jeremy did not have an explanation for how the relationship got to the point of inappropriate photographs and text messages being sent back and forth between him and (the student),” the affidavit alleged.
“Investigator Tomm Edwards placed Jeremy under arrest and transported him to the Payne County Jail,” the affidavit said.
