FORTVILLE, Ind. (April 1, 2016)– An arrest warrant for a non-certified teacher’s aide, lifeguard and substitute teacher for the Mount Vernon Community School Corporation was issued Friday.
Kisha Nuckols, 38, is accused of having sexual relations with students on multiple occasions and sending sexually-explicit photos of herself to students.
Fortville Police say she made contact with several current or former students of Mt. Vernon High School via social media sites such as Snapchat, Kik, Twitter and Instagram.
Nuckols has been charged with two counts of child seduction (level 5 Felony), child seduction (level 6 Felony) and dissemination of matter harmful to minors (level 6 Felony).
Investigators allege she may’ve had inappropriate relationships with at least six current or former Mt.Vernon High School students.
Fortville Police said Nuckols worked for the district for roughly three years and to their knowledge, the sexual encounters did not occur on school property.
Court records show a high school guidance counselor told the middle school principal on March 12th about a “rumor” of the existence of inappropriate photos sent from Nuckols to a high school student. The middle school principal then told the assistant high school principal on March 29th, which is when police got involved. As of Friday night, the Mt. Vernon school district hasn’t explained why there was a delay in reporting or whether they’re investigating it.
“You never know who is looking to try and find your child online,” said Lt. Patrick Bratton, with the Fortville Police Department, “Everything from the start of the interactions all began with social media.”
Police said Nuckols was a Mt. Vernon Middle School teacher’s aide, lifeguard, and substitute teacher, who used Twitter, Kik, Snapchat, and Instagram, to find high school students in the same school system where she worked.
According to court papers, Nuckols contacted a Mt. Vernon High School senior, who was 17 at the time, at the beginning of the school year in 2015 and sent him explicit photos. By fall, the teen ended up going to Nuckols’ home in Fortville, where investigators said the two had sex and would do so at least ten times.
Court filings said Nuckols told the teen they’d have to be quiet because her husband and children were in the home at the time.
Investigators allege sexual encounters even occurred in vehicles in a Fishers parking lot, with one of those cars a white Pontiac Grand Prix, which reportedly belonged to Nuckols’ daughter.
“It’s disgusting,” said Ashley Ort, who lives down the street from Nuckols.
Ort’s daughter also goes to Mt. Vernon Middle School.
“I’m shocked. She’s a couple houses down from us. You hear it, but you don’t expect it to be here though,” said Ort.
Police would later interview Nuckols. Investigators said she admitted to the encounters with the student in question and acknowledged there were at least five other students with whom she’d had inappropriate relationships.
Investigators interviewed an additional student at Mt.Vernon High School, who said Nuckols contacted him in January via Snapchat. The two had a sexual encounter in her van, according to the student, and afterward the student said he messaged Nuckols on Snapchat saying “what they did was wrong and that it can never happen again.” Court documents state that Nuckols was apologetic, and the student had no contact with her since January.
Fortville Police said because of multiple inappropriate relationships alleged, their investigative work is not done.
“We’ve continuing to investigate it. It’s ongoing,” said Bratton.
Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Shane Robbins released the following statement earlier Friday:
The Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation has received a credible allegation of inappropriate contact between a middle school non-certified employee and a high school student. The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. The employee has been prohibited from entering school grounds. It is anticipated that the internal investigation will be completed by April 1, 2016.
Student/child safety is the most important thing that we do as a school district. Protecting our students in every situation is vitally important and necessary. Please be assured that we are and will continue to undertake all measures necessary to ensure student safety.
The Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation is working closely with the Fortville Police Department in its ongoing investigation, and as a result the School Corporation must limit comments on the matter. More information will be provided by the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation on completion of its internal investigation.
