A high school teacher in North Carolina has been arrested and charged with 10 felony counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor following a search of his residence by law enforcement authorities.
Geoffrey Craig Hightower, 36, a teacher at Smithfield-Selma High School, was taken into custody on Thursday after police executed a search warrant at his apartment located in the 900 block of 7th Avenue in Garner, North Carolina. Following his arrest, Hightower was suspended from his teaching position pending further investigation.
During a court appearance on Friday, Wake County District Court Judge Rashad Hauter outlined the charges against Hightower, stating that he is accused of “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously” duplicating material containing visual representations of minors between the ages of 6 and 9 engaged in sexual activity. Each of these Class E felony charges carries a maximum potential sentence of up to 136 months in prison.
Hightower is currently being held at the Wake County Detention Center on a $500,000 secured bond. The judge has also ordered that he have no contact with anyone under the age of 18. Authorities have indicated that additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
The arrest was the result