Teacher charged with 24 sex crimes after posting TikToks of students, school says

A former Tennessee elementary school teacher is facing two dozen child sex charges including rape after police say she posted inappropriate videos of students to TikTok.

Taylor Cruze, 23, was indicted last week by a grand jury in Smyrna as a result of a police investigation in connection to the felony crimes, Rutherford County Schools spokesperson James Evans told USA TODAY.

Evans said that prior to her arrest last month, Cruze was a first-year fifth-grade teacher at John Colemon Elementary School in Smyrna, about 25 miles southeast of Nashville.

She was suspended without pay May 2, Evans said, and resigned from her job May 22.

Evans did not provide additional details about the case to USA TODAY, including what the TikTok videos contained or when they were posted.

On Aug. 3, court records show, officials issued a warrant for Cruze’s arrest and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office arrested her Aug. 10.

Cruze is charged with multiple counts of exploitation of a minor under 13 by electronic means, exploitation of a minor by electronic means and especially aggravated sex exploitation of a minor.  She also faces charges of solicitation of a minor – rape of a child, and sexual battery by an authority figure.

Court documents show that at the time of her arrest, Cruze lived in Murfreesboro, about 14 miles south of the elementary school.

On Wednesday, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni told USA TODAY her current address was listed in Knoxville.

A jail spokesperson told USA TODAY Wednesday that Cruze posted a $100,000 bond the same day she was arrested.

Court records show she is due in court on Sept. 28 for a plea hearing.

Evans said the school district is “fully cooperating with law enforcement” as the investigation continues.