A former middle school coach in the White Settlement Independent School District is behind bars, charged with sexually assaulting a child under the age of 17.
Police said 37-year-old Christopher Garcia sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl for years. White Settlement police received the initial report on May 17, and the next day, Garcia resigned from Brewer Middle School, where he was both a teacher and a coach.
Police said none of the alleged acts took place on school grounds and that they did not involve any students at the school.
A spokesperson for the district would not give details on how long Garcia was employed with the district before police arrested him last Wednesday.
“He was cooperative with detectives,” said Lt. J.P. Bevering, with the White Settlement Police Department. "He turned himself in, actually, as soon as he was notified of the arrest warrant.”
Police are still investigating this case to see if they will be filing additional charges against him.
“It’s a sexual assault with a child,” said Bevering “We take those very seriously for the protection of the child victim of course.”
The White Settlement ISD sent NBC 5 a statement Tuesday saying, in part: "Brewer Middle School teacher Chris Garcia resigned on May 18, 2014, after school officials were notified by local authorities of an allegation of inappropriate conduct with a child. The district takes all allegations seriously and is working with local authorities to help ensure the safety of all students."
Garcia is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on $250,000 bond.
