GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A teacher in Greene County has been charged with several counts of statutory rape after police allege he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student.
A release from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department (GCSD) states an investigation began in June 2021 after hearing reports of a “possible inappropriate relationship with a [14-year-old] West Greene High School student and her teacher.”
The GCSD reports that the investigation determined that Jacob Deal, who was 41 at the time, had a sexual relationship with the female student.
The findings of the investigation were presented to a grand jury in May, and Deal was indicted on the following charges:
- Statutory Rape by an Authority Figure (3 counts)
- Aggravated Statutory Rape (3 counts)
Deal, of Rogersville, turned himself in at the Greene County Detention Center on Thursday. His bond was set at $50,000, and he is set to appear in court on Sept. 15.
“Cases like this take a long time to investigate and to gather evidence. It took time to collect data and records from social media,” GCSD Detective Sergeant Chuck Humphreys said in the release. “Countless hours and numerous court orders were involved in this case.”
“I am proud of the hard work Detective Sgt. Humphreys put into this case,” said Greene County Sheriff Wesley Holt in the release. “He spent a lot of time gathering evidence and details related to the crime. He traveled to Nashville for court orders and out-of-state for multiple interviews. He is to be commended for his dedication to this case.”
