CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two other people, including a teacher, have been accused in connection with the exchanging of sexually explicit pictures of a student in Rowan County, investigators said.
On December 23, 2019, Ethan Andrew Grose, a teacher at West Rowan Middle School, was arrested and charged with third-degree exploitation of a minor and indecent liberties with a child. Detectives said Grose had been communicating with the student on social media and exchanged sexually explicit photos with the student.
On Sunday, the Rowan County Sheriff's Office obtained charged against another teacher at West Rowan Middle, Justin Andrew Avery, for third-degree exploitation of a minor and indecent liberties with a child. Grose is also facing an additional charge of third-degree exploitation of a minor. He was arrested in Iredell County after posting bond on the initial charge in December.
Avery is an assistant track and field coach at nearby Livingstone College.
The school's athletic director released a statement saying Avery has been suspended while the investigation continues.
The Rowan Salisbury Schools district sent a statement confirming Grose resigned in December, and Avery was placed on disciplinary suspension without pay on January 13.
The statement reads:
It is heartbreaking any time we receive a report that involves inappropriate behavior. We have protocol in place to immediately handle difficult situations should they occur assuring the continued safety of our students and staff. We conduct internal investigations, review our processes, and continue to work cooperatively with law enforcement on their investigations.
We join our families in being appalled and angry over this situation. This is not acceptable and we hold our staff accountable to high standards and expectations. We encourage families to talk with their children about safety, including the importance of relying on trusted adults, such as parents, teachers, ministers, school resource officers, and others. Parents are also encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Department if they have any information that they think law enforcement should know. RSS also operates an anonymous tip line, that is available on our district’s website.
We are very grateful for the excellent relationships with our local law enforcement agencies. We are fortunate to have SROs who are responsive to the needs of our students and who work closely with school administration to create a team atmosphere and enriching place for our children to learn and grow.
During the investigation, detectives gathered evidence that showed both teachers communicated with the student on social media and shared sexually explicit photos. A third suspect, 24-year-old Donovan Perez Hernandez, who is not associated with the school, was identified during the investigation. Deputies obtained warrants for the arrest of Hernandez but he has not been located. He is wanted for the same indecent liberties and exploitation charges as Grose and Avery. All three cases involve the same victim.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Hernandez is asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.