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A high school teacher from Michigan who sent naked photos of himself to a group of students has been cleared of all wrongdoing. The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office said that the 35-year-old teacher was the victim of a catfishing scam.
Captain Jim Charon said that the students created a fake profile on an online dating site and sent the teacher unsolicited nude photos of a random woman they found on the internet.
The teacher replied by sending naked photos of himself, not realizing that several students were the ones behind the account.
Charon said that investigators are now looking into the students who created the fake account.
"The students were trying to blackmail the teacher or had some grievance with him," Charon said.
Charon did not provide details about what the grievance was and noted that the students under investigation were from a different school district. He added that the teacher knew the students and had been connected with them through a program that extends beyond Gobles Public Schools.
The teacher was initially placed on administrative leave pending the law enforcement investigation. School officials have not provided any update on his employment status now that he has been cleared by law enforcement.