A female high school athletic trainer allegedly had an “inappropriate relationship” with a student in which she sent dirty pictures of herself to the minor, reports and officials said.
Christina G. Payton, 27, allegedly sent the sexually explicit pics to a 17-year-old pupil at the Indian Creek High School in Shabbona Illinois in early April, The Sun reported.
Payton was hit with both felony and misdemeanor charges of distributing harmful material to a minor, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The relationship was first reported to cops on June 10, leading to an investigation by Lee County detectives that eventually prompted Payton to turn herself in on Wednesday, officials said.
Indian Creek School District Superintendent Chad Willis told the Shaw Local news outlet that the charges were “deeply concerning and disappointing.”
Payton, of Creston, Ill., was released without bail in accordance with a 2021 state criminal justice reform law that means defendants no longer have to pay money to be released while awaiting trial.
“All charges are merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” police added in an online statement.
Payton and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately return The Post’s calls for comment.
Leave a Reply