GREEN FOREST, Ark. — A Green Forest teacher who had an inappropriate relationship with a minor student has taken a plea agreement and been sentenced.
Court documents say that on Jan. 4, 2022, a school resource officer (SRO) with the Green Forest Police Department (GFPD) assigned to the Green Forest School District was contacted by the district's superintendent, who requested a meeting.
The SRO met with the superintendent and a principal about inappropriate Snapchat messages with 45-year-old teacher Dustin Lee and a 15-year-old female student of his.
Below are messages included in the affidavit that Lee sent the minor:
- "I will hug the f**k out of you"
- "You should go to bed with me"
- "You can show me everything but I am still interested in you"
- "A good thing. I could go down on you and talk about heidegger later"
- "I like boobs and legs, but I also like you kiddo"
- "Shut the f**k up and love me"
- "Or just get me arrested"
- "You are fun. I don't care who you f**k"
- "All good I get hot leg pics. You are fun as f**k"
The minor was interviewed on Jan. 6, 2023, at the Grandma House Child Advocate Center. She confirmed that Lee sent the messages, according to court documents. The minor said that Lee sent messages wanting to get her out of class so that the two could meet in his classroom, also offering to take the minor to dinner, sending at least one nude photo, and divulging details about his sex life.
When asked if Lee ever touched her, she said that he occasionally leaned on her, resting his hand on her breast, the affidavit said.
On Jan. 7, 2023, a detective spoke to Lee who admitted that he had messaged the minor but said he didn't send the messages he was accused of sending.
The affidavit says that Lee explained he "abused a medication with similar side effects to Ambien and often could not remember doing things," although Lee claimed he had never sent a nude photo to the minor.
During the interview, Lee reportedly picked up his phone, said that he would show police the messages, and then put it back down, saying that it was about to die. When the detective said they were going to seize the phone and obtain a search warrant, Lee grabbed it and said "you're not taking my f**king phone." The detective was eventually able to get access to the phone, according to the affidavit.
Lee was arrested shortly after and pleaded not guilty to internet stalking of a child and endangering the welfare of a minor.
According to court documents, Lee, now 46 years old, took a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor. He was sentenced to one year of state-supervised probation and has to pay just over $1,100 in fines.
Additionally, Lee is not allowed to have contact with the minor involved, commit misdemeanor or felony offenses, and he's ordered to refrain from entering the property of any school instructing kids kindergarten through 12th grade in the state of Arkansas, his agreement says.
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