Olathe choir teacher kissed student at school, had ‘sexual relations’ in home, police say
A fired Olathe North High School choir teacher is accused of kissing a student on school grounds and coercing her into having sexual contact inside his home, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.
The teacher, Micah Horton, allegedly exchanged Snapchat messages of a sexual nature with three students while he worked as the school’s vocal music director. He pursued one of the girls, asking her to meet him in person, and bringing her to his Shawnee home where he eventually convinced her to engage in oral sex, according to a police affidavit.
The 35-year-old Horton is charged with three felonies, including two counts of unlawful sexual relations with a student and one count of exploitation of a child under the age of 18.
Horton’s attorney did not immediately return The Star’s request for comment on Wednesday.
A Johnson County judge ordered the affidavit be released publicly with redactions on Wednesday. It describes the investigation led by Olathe police since Feb. 13, after school employees reported concerns about Horton’s behavior.
The district notified law enforcement in mid-February of two students’ reports that Horton was sending Snapchat messages to them, including shirtless pictures. Police said both students claimed, “Horton had instructed them not to tell anyone because he would not normally add them until after graduation.”
While investigating, school staff discovered a third student had also been receiving messages from Horton, including photos of his penis.
During an interview with forensic investigators, one of the girls said Horton added her on Snapchat after they worked together on choir productions. They grew closer, she said, and then Horton steered the conversations toward sex.
Horton began sending explicit photos and requesting the same from the girl. She told investigators he would “make her feel guilty about it” if she did not comply.
The teacher coerced his student, convincing her to send photos out of “concern for losing the close relationship with Horton,” she told police, according to the affidavit.
Over Thanksgiving break, Horton allegedly convinced the student to meet in person, including in a school storage closet after rehearsals where they would “make out.” That escalated to Horton encouraging her to visit his home, she said, where on two occasions “they engaged in oral sex with one another.”
Police said geographic data from her cellphone confirmed the student was at Horton’s home on three occasions in December and January. She described in detail the interior of his home, which was verified by investigators.
Police confronted Horton at his home on Feb. 26, where he said he had retained legal counsel. He did not provide a statement or agree to an interview with detectives, according to the affidavit.
Earlier this month, Johnson County prosecutors charged Horton with felony sexual exploitation of a child, accusing him of enticing or coercing a child under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct, between Dec. 7 and Feb. 14.
He also faces two felony counts of unlawful sexual relations with a student who is at least 16 years old. One charge stems from Dec. 28, while the other is from Jan. 16 and 17. Both of these charges involve the same student victim, according to the criminal complaint.
A witness list prepared by Johnson County prosecutors included the student victim, born in 2007, and two other teenagers, as well as school district staff, Olathe and Shawnee police officers, and representatives from the social media site Snapchat.
Horton is held in the Johnson County jail. His bond is set at $500,000.
Late last month, the Olathe school board held a special meeting where members voted to fire Horton, who had worked for the district since August 2021.
The move was shocking for many parents, who said Horton had been popular among students. Last year he was named the district’s secondary teacher of the year, according to social media posts.
A hearing in the criminal case is scheduled for April 24.
This story was originally published March 27, 2024 at 12:01 PM.
