Samantha McFerrin, 29, faces two felony charges: aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 and sexual assault of a child, ages 14-17. Court records show the assaults happened while she was a math teacher at Space Center Intermediate.
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"It's something we take very seriously," said Preston Burns, a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney's Child Abuse Division. "These are still children we're talking about, they'll be affected by these cases probably for the rest of their lives."
According to court records, administrators at Space Center Intermediate received information early last month about inappropriate communication between McFerrin and a male student. That investigation revealed two victims.
The first was from August 2018. Court records say McFerrin was his 8th grade math teacher and that their relationship started via Snapchat. After exchanging nude photos, she and the student had sex in her truck at least 15 times, records say. The victim was 14 years old.
A second victim, a deputy wrote, had nude photos of her on his phone and when investigators interviewed him, he told them last fall McFerrin pursued him, requesting that he come to her classroom where she eventually gave him oral sex, court documents say. He was only 13.
Court records also say McFerrin befriended a female student and confided in her about one relationship. She allegedly told the student she bought one victim a computer "to keep the relationship quiet."
Clear Creek ISD informed parents about the allegations in two separate messages last month, the district told ABC13, and urged students to come forward.
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"We believe current and former students of Ms. McFerrin's may have information related to the law enforcement investigation," Superintendent Greg Smith wrote. "Based on the information received, I am filing a report with the State Board of Educator Certification. This is the governing board which investigates educator misconduct and determines whether a teacher's certification should be suspended or revoked."
McFerrin resigned during an initial interview. She had worked at Space Center Intermediate since 2016, said a district spokeswoman.
McFerrin, who is married, turned herself in Tuesday and posted bond totaling $70,000. Chris Tritico, her attorney, said she's wearing an electronic monitor while out of jail.
"Ms. McFerrin will contest the allegations and looks forward to her day in court," Tritico said.
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