Substitute Accused Of Soliciting Middle Schoolers

Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 7:29 AM

Bradley Cherry

Dearborn Co. Law Enforcement Center

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – A substitute teacher for Lawrenceburg Community Schools is accused of sending sexual messages to students.

Bradley E. Cherry, of Greendale, was arrested on Monday. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday, March 14 – the day of his 26th birthday – on two counts of Child Solicitation (Class C felony).

Cherry allegedly sent explicit text messages by cell phone and Facebook to two students – ages 15 and 13 – at Greendale Middle School.

According to a court affidavit, Lawrenceburg Police began investigating the case January 20 after the boyfriend – also a middle schooler – of a student confronted Cherry about explicit text messages the boyfriend had seen on his girlfriend’s phone.

One of the girls told the detectives “that she then told Cherry that this was weird because he is her teacher.”

Cherry admitted to sending the texts to the girls he was questioned by police, but insisted he was never serious.

Investigators also allege Cherry supplied one of the girls a cigarette when they met in person at Ludlow Park in Greendale in October or November. He repeatedly tried to persuade the girls to sneak out of their homes with him and send “naughty” pictures to him.

Cherry remains held in the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center. He was scheduled to make his initial appearance in Dearborn Superior Court I on Wednesday morning.

Lawrenceburg Community Schools Superintendent Karl Galey said Cherry has not been called to substitute since the reports were made.