(Texas Scorecard) – A San Antonio educator is accused of enticing female students to send him sexually explicit images via social media and grooming the girls for sexual encounters.
Christopher Demetrius Irving, 41, was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of sexual performance of a child, a second-degree felony, and two counts of grooming, a third-degree felony.
Irving worked at Veterans Memorial High School and assisted with coaching football and girls’ powerlifting.
An arrest affidavit alleges Irving started messaging two female students, ages 15 and 17, last year using social media apps Instagram and Snapchat.
The older girl told police Irving sent her a picture of his penis and convinced her to send him a nude image. Irving also allegedly said he wanted to have sex with the girl and invited her to his apartment during spring break.
The younger girl told police that Irving had offered her marijuana, sent her sexually explicit messages, and invited her to his hotel during an off-campus tournament.
A corroborating witness reportedly gave investigators a screenshot of a Snapchat message from Irving telling one of the victims he needed “something young and pretty to spend money on.”
Irving is married with grown children.
The students reportedly informed school staff about Irving’s grooming behavior in late March, and district police began investigating.
Irving attended the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association state championship event on March 15 with other school students and was on campus for the March 24 sports banquet.
Following Irving’s arrest on April 17, Judson ISD officials stated that the coach had been immediately placed on administrative leave when campus administrators learned of the allegations, and he was allowed to resign voluntarily shortly thereafter.
“At that time, a report was made to the appropriate authorities regarding the alleged misconduct pursuant to requirements outlined in state law,” the district stated. “This is an active investigation that is being handled jointly by federal, state, and local law enforcement entities as well as our Judson ISD Police Department. We cannot comment about ongoing investigations.”
The San Antonio Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and the FBI in San Antonio are working with district police on the investigation and believe there may be more victims.
Irving was booked into the Bexar County Jail on April 18 and later released on bonds totaling $250,000.
State records indicate Irving does not hold a Texas teaching certificate.
Irving is not the first district educator charged with sex crimes involving minors. Last year, former Judson ISD middle school music teacher Mark Mallow was sentenced to 131 years in prison for promoting child pornography.
The San Antonio Police Department also announced earlier this month that they’d arrested a local charter school teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old student on campus.
Caleb Nelson, 23, taught third-grade math at Jubilee San Antonio, a public charter school serving pre-K through 12th-grade students. Nelson was charged with sexual assault and improper relationship between educator and a student.
State records show Nelson does not hold a teaching certificate. He is not currently listed on the Do Not Hire Registry of individuals ineligible to be employed by a public school.
Irving and Nelson are among the growing number of Texas educators accused of sex crimes against students.