Richardson police arrested a Berkner High School teacher at his home on Friday on a felony charge of online solicitation of a minor.
Michael Ralph Fouse, 41, was taken into custody without incident after detectives served an arrest warrant and a search warrant at his Richardson residence, the Richardson Police Department said in a release. The charge is a third-degree felony.
Richardson ISD said Fouse was immediately placed on administrative leave.
How it started
Detectives opened the investigation on Aug. 20, eight days before the arrest, after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the police release.
The center operates the federal CyberTipline, which receives reports of suspected child exploitation from the public and from technology companies and forwards them to law enforcement.
Police said the investigation is continuing and that detectives are working with the school district to gather more information.
What the district said
"The district will continue to cooperate fully with the Richardson Police Department as it conducts its criminal investigation," Richardson ISD said in a statement. "RISD will take all appropriate and necessary action based on the findings of these investigations."
The district said it is limited in what it can share because the matter is both an ongoing criminal investigation and a personnel matter.
"Our commitment remains clear," the statement said. "We will take every appropriate step to protect the safety and well-being of our students."