The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has arrested Mark Hernandez, a middle school teacher accused of sexual battery and solicitation of a student. (Images: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, WTVC)
In an arrest report, the HCSO says on October 14, one of their detectives spoke with a 14-year-old girl who had graduated Brown Middle School that year. She told the detective that during that year, she began a relationship with her teacher, Mark Hernandez. The girl says after graduating in May 2019, she would still meet with Hernandez after school dismissed.
According to the sheriff’s office, the girl told the detective about an incident the week before fall break, in which she met with Hernandez in his classroom. She said he kissed her on the mouth and grabbed her butt.
She also told the detective that on September 19, he gave her a cellphone with his number already programmed in under the name ‘My Dude.’
The sheriff’s office looked through texts and pictures between Hernandez and the girl, and says multiple texts from Hernandez were sexually explicit. The arrest report says in one text, Hernandez asked the girl to sneak out of the house so they could have sex. The HCSO says Hernandez also solicited multiple inappropriate pictures from the girl.
The sheriff’s office says Hernandez was arrested on Thursday and charged with sexual battery by an authority figure and solicitation of a minor.
We reached out to Hamilton County Schools for a statement after business hours, and have not yet heard back. The school’s website says Hernandez teaches 8th grade history & social studies.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we learn more.
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