A Phoenix teacher was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly grooming and maintaining a long-term sexual relationship with a minor.
Justin Walters, 29, who taught at Desert Garden Montessori School, is facing 10 counts of sexual contact with a minor, a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service in Chicago said.
Walters allegedly groomed the victim before beginning the sexual relationship, law enforcement added.
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Walters was arrested at a home in Chicago and will be extradited to Maricopa County, Arizona, according to the Marshals Service, which added that the Phoenix Police Department interviewed Walters earlier this year and that he traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, before flying to Chicago, where he was ultimately apprehended.
“Perpetrators of child abuse often ‘groom’ and manipulate their victims by establishing power in the relationship. This was the case with Walters who was the victim’s teacher,” U.S. Marshal David Gonzales said, according to the Arizona Republic. “Walters’ arrest will ensure that he will no longer be in a position to exploit children.”
The Arizona school said Walters “has not been associated with the school since December of 2020,” according to a statement reported by ABC 15 on Thursday morning.
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“Our students’ safety remains, above all, our highest priority and any threat to that safety is taken very seriously,” the school added. “Our attention remains with the well-being of our students, our staff and our community during this difficult time.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Marshals Service and Desert Garden Montessori School for comment but did not immediately hear back.
