A Florida middle school teacher was arrested after investigators said he exchanged inappropriate messages with a former teenage student and acknowledged communicating inappropriately with the student since 2023.
Christian Schneider, 31, a teacher at Memorial Middle School, was arrested Friday on charges of three felonies following an investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives opened a criminal investigation into Schneider on July 28, and learned he had been sending inappropriate messages to a former teenage student at Franklin Middle School, according to the sheriff’s office.
Schneider told deputies he had engaged in inappropriate communication with the student since 2023, authorities said.
Authorities have not disclosed the student’s exact age, how investigators learned about the alleged communications or further details about the messages.
Schneider faces two counts of solicitation or possession of child sexual abuse material, both second-degree felonies, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office booking records.
He also faces one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device, a third-degree felony.
The booking records list July 3 as the offense date for each of the three charges.
Schneider was arrested shortly after noon Friday and booked into custody that afternoon, according to jail records.
Each charge carried a $2,500 surety bond, for a combined $7,500. Schneider was released on surety bond at 2:38 a.m. local time Saturday, jail records show.
“Teachers hold a position of trust that comes with enormous responsibility,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.
“When that trust is exploited, it’s not just a crime, it’s a violation of everything our schools are supposed to stand for. Detectives will continue investigating these cases aggressively, and anyone who abuses their position with a child will be held accountable.”
The sheriff’s office identified Schneider as a teacher at Memorial Middle School and the teenager as his former student at Franklin Middle School.
The agency did not provide additional details about Schneider’s connection to Franklin Middle School or when he taught the student.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active and that additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Hillsborough County school district for information about Schneider’s employment status and for comment on his arrest.
