FISHERS, Ind. — A Fishers Christian Academy teacher has been fired after being accused of child solicitation and sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old student.
Investigators also said 34-year-old Stephen Ayon sought out minors through messaging mobile applications. According to an affidavit for probable cause filed on Monday in Hamilton County, Ayon has been charged with:
- One count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors, a Level 6 felony
- One count of child solicitation, a Level 4 felony
- One count of child seduction, a Level 4 felony
- One count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 4 felony
- One count of promotion of child sex trafficking, a Level 3 felony
- One count of vicarious sexual gratification, a Level 5 felony
In a statement from Fishers Christian Academy, officials said they are “aware of the situation and are fully cooperating with law enforcement.:
“He was terminated from employment on September 26,” the statement read. “We have no further comments at this time.”
The documents said an anonymous tip was brought forward to the Fishers Police Department regarding a teacher at Fishers Christian Academy. The tip claimed that Ayon, an English teacher at the school, had engaged in inappropriate behavior with female students. After this tip, law enforcement went over to speak with Ayon at his home in Noblesville.
During the conversation, the documents indicated that Ayon spoke to law enforcement about allegations of him pursuing 13-year-olds over Whisper Application and Text Now, two mobile applications used to message individuals.
Ayon reportedly said during the conversation that he knew the person he was speaking with was not 13 years old and he was trying to find out who they were.
“(Ayon) said ‘at the end of the day, I promise I wasn’t going to meet and that’s why I backed out,'” the documents read. “‘I know I was completely wrong…’ (Ayon referred) to the online conversations with minors as curiosity.”
Because he worked at Fishers Christian Academy as a teacher, the documents stated that the conversation “shifted to ensure there were no inappropriate conversations or relationships occurring with students.” After this, the documents said that Ayon admitted to having a relationship with a 15-year-old student.
The documents said that Ayon had received photos and videos from the 15-year-old that were “very inappropriate but not nudes” over WhatsApp. Ayon also reportedly had a sexual encounter with the minor earlier this year.
In an interview with the minor, she reportedly told police that Ayon began flirting with her during the third year of him teaching. The documents said she told police Ayon would “get a little bit touchy.”
The minor told police she went along with Ayon’s texts because she “didn’t want anything to happen and… didn’t want to be in trouble.” The girl also told police Ayon forced her to touch him inappropriately.
FOX59/CBS4 has reached out to Fishers Christian Academy regarding the allegations against Ayon. This story will be updated if the academy returns the request for comment.
