When he wasn?t teaching social studies at Glenelg High School, Joseph Samuel Ellis was sending sexually explicit text messages to his underage students and groping some of them, according to court documents.
The 25-year-old Howard County teacher was arrested Saturday after two girls, 16 and 17, told police that, in addition to sending the messages, he exposed himself and touched them on separate occasions.
“To my knowledge, there were never complaints about [Ellis] in the past. In fact, he was one of the kids? favorite teachers,” said Johnnie Nussbaum, first vice president of the Glenelg Parent Teacher Student Association.
Ellis has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of his investigation, said Patti Caplan, county school spokeswoman.
The 17-year-old Glenelg student told police that Ellis has repeatedly sent text messages to her cell phone, requesting they meet to “hook up.” He also reportedly sent pictures of himself nude and engaging in sex acts.
In December, Ellis reportedly took the girl?s hand and forced her to touch him inside a classroom. He also exposed himself to her on a separate occasion, according to charging documents.
The 16-year-old student told police that Ellis sent her multiple sexual text messages, including one that told her she “looked hot,” according to charging documents. During the summer of 2006, Ellis reportedly offered the 16-year-old alcohol if she met him in a Columbia park. When she arrived, he touched her inappropriately, the court documents said.
It is unclear why Ellis had the girls? cell phone numbers, Howard County Police spokeswoman Sherry Llewelyn said.
Police also are investigating a third student?s complaints that Ellis sent her sexually explicit instant messages on her computer.
Howard County does not have a policy that prohibits teachers from exchanging cell phone numbers or screen names with students, but “there really shouldn?t be a need to,” Caplan said.
Ellis was arrested Saturday and released on a $150,000 bond. He was charged with child abuse, two counts of a fourth-degree sex offense and two counts of solicitation of a minor.
Ellis was charged with but not convicted of underage possession of alcohol in 1999, according to records.
Examiner Staff Writer Luke Broadwater contributed to this report.
