High school choir teacher ‘groomed’ 16-year-old, asked for naked pictures, VA cops say

A high school choir teacher is accused of “grooming” a 16-year-old by giving him a cellphone and asking him for naked pictures, according to a Virginia sheriff’s office.

Craig Alexander Smith, 47, who started teaching choir at Culpeper County High School in 2022 and was teaching in the summer school program, was arrested on July 12, the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Culpeper is about 90 miles north of Richmond.

The mother of the 16-year-old told deputies that she thought the teacher was possibly grooming her son for sexual activity, the statement said. Smith also gave her son rides home from school.

The sheriff’s office said that Smith told deputies he gave the teenager a cellphone and requested nude photographs.

Culpeper County Public Schools said it could not comment on the case because it was a personnel matter.

Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins said in a statement that Culpeper County Public Schools and superintendent Anthony Brads were cooperating with the investigation.

Smith faces a charge of “use of communication systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children,” according to the sheriff’s office. He is being held in the Culpeper County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

The sheriff’s department asks that anyone with information of other victims or incidents contact them at 540-727-7520 or MKeene@CulpeperCounty.gov

This story was originally published July 14, 2022 at 10:47 AM with the headline "High school choir teacher ‘groomed’ 16-year-old, asked for naked pictures, VA cops say."