Details released in sexual assault case against former Gardner Edgerton HS choir director

A former Johnson County high school teacher was linked by DNA testing to a student he allegedly sexually assaulted, according to court documents released Wednesday.

The alleged victim, who was born in 2000, reported to police that Todd Burd sexually assaulted him or her last year in the cab of his pickup truck.

Later testing of evidence found inside the truck matched the DNA of the alleged victim, according to the court documents.

Burd, 45, was a music teacher and choir director at Gardner Edgerton High School when the alleged sexual assault occurred in the fall of 2016.

He is no longer employed at the school.

According to the court documents, the alleged victim told a school counselor about the assault, and police were contacted.

According to the documents released Wednesday:

The student told investigators that Burd was sending sexual messages and nude pictures through a social media site to the student and pressuring the student to meet in person.

Eventually, the student agreed to meet with Burd, who said he wanted to talk.

He drove to the student’s house, and the student snuck out to meet with him.

But once inside the truck, Burd allegedly forced the student to have oral and anal sex that they did not consent to.

Later, when school officials talked to Burd, he initially denied having any contact with the student.

Eventually, he admitted to communicating online and sending nude pictures. He said he didn’t know it was a student he was communicating with, and when he found out, he shut down that social media account and had no more contact.

He declined to be interviewed by police.

Burd is now charged in Johnson County District Court with two counts of aggravated sodomy by force.

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Details released in sexual assault case against former Gardner Edgerton HS choir director."