A former Dallas private school teacher, Matthew Harmon, has been arrested by Dallas police following a year-long investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving a child.
The 46-year-old’s arrest warrant was issued in late May, marking a significant development in the case, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
According to detectives, the offense dates back to 2007 and involves a victim whom Harmon met at The Providence Christian School of Texas in Dallas. Harmon was a teacher and coach at the school from 2004 to 2007.
The alleged victim, who was in the eighth grade at the time, reported that Harmon initiated private tutoring sessions with her and later began buying her a variety of gifts, including bras and underwear. She alleged that Harmon engaged in sexual intercourse with her when she was around 16 years old, both at his apartment and various hotels, according to the report from Fox 4.
Providence Christian School stated that it became aware of the accusations in the fall of 2022 and promptly reported the information to authorities. In addition, the school’s board of trustees hired an independent investigator to look into the allegations.
“The independent investigator recently concluded the investigation, which identified credible accounts of misconduct committed by the former teacher and coach during and after his tenure at Providence and a failure of leadership by the Providence administration at the time,” read a statement from the school published by Fox 4.
“We are grieved that the alumni participating in this investigation did not receive the care and concern they deserved from the Providence administration during their time at the School.”
The investigation also reportedly uncovered potential lapses in Harmon’s hiring process and a failure to address concerning behavior observed by staff members. Providence Christian School has pledged to review its safety and security policies and protocols in light of these findings, reported Fox 4.
In addition to his tenure at Providence, Harmon volunteered at Trinity Christian Academy and worked at Kanakuk camps in Durango, Colorado, and Branson, Missouri, coming into contact with thousands of children, per Fox 4.
Investigators have identified additional alleged victims, but police say there may still be others who have not yet come forward.
They encourage anyone with information or who may have been a victim of Harmon’s to contact the Dallas Police Department.