Fourth-grade Tennessee teacher charged with raping a 12-year-old boy, sending nudes to others on social media

A Tennessee teacher who taught English and Social Studies to fourth-graders has been arrested and charged with raping a 12-year-old boy. The police are looking for more victims who may have been groomed by the teacher on social media.

The teacher, Alissa McCommon, 38, is a mother of two children. She was taken into custody by the Covington Police Department on Friday outside her home. Currently, she is held at the Tipton County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

According to Covington Police Chief Donna Turner, McCommon had a sexual encounter with one of her former students at her home in 2021. The boy was only 12 years old when the abuse happened.

McCommon taught at Charger Academy, an elementary school in the district.

The school district learned about the allegations on August 24 when a parent reported them.

McCommon was suspended immediately, Yahoo News reported.

Police said that several other juvenile victims came forward and claimed that McCommon had contacted them through social media and played video games with them.

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She then allegedly sent them nude pictures and asked them to have sex with her.

Police said that McCommon admitted that she had inappropriate conversations with the former students.

The news of the teacher’s arrest shocked and angered many parents, who said they were not informed by the school until two weeks later through a Facebook post. Some parents said they were considering homeschooling their children because they lost trust in the school district.

One parent, Bianca Taylor, told Fox13 Memphis that she asked her son if his teacher had been in school lately. Her son said that there was a substitute teacher because the school said the teacher was sick.

“I do hope they take matters seriously, because any other situation. If it was a man doing it the opposite way, y’all would take it more seriously,” Taylor said.

“Even if she did it or didn’t do it, it needs to be looked at and not swept under the rug.”

Police said that none of the alleged sexual acts are believed to have occurred on school grounds.

‘It’s unspeakable and it’s 100 percent preventable. I think that’s why the detectives and we are so passionate about making sure victims are okay,’ said Chief Turner.

The accused teacher’s lawyer, Jere Mason, said his client denies the charges. He also said that his client is being unfairly targeted on social media.

“We believe that it’s borderline a witch hunt on social media and that’s frustrating to us,” Mason said.

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“What we’re asking is that the public be patient and allow the justice system to do it’s job and not create further persecution on the alleged victims or on the family of the defendant.”

McCommon also worked at Crestview Elementary School in the past, according to Tipton County Schools.

Police are still investigating the case and expect to file more charges against McCommon. Her scheduled appearance in General Sessions Court is set for October 13th.

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