Eric Arnold Schmidt has been charged with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. He is currently being held on a $20,000 bond.
An educator employed by the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District has been taken into custody by the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly committing a sex offense involving a juvenile.
Geauga County detectives arrested 43-year-old Eric Arnold Schmidt and charged him with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material.
Legal records indicate that a 16-year-old female reported to Geauga County Sheriff’s investigators on January 24th, alleging that she had sent inappropriate photos to Schmidt via Snapchat, as per his instructions.
The teenager informed authorities that Schmidt had used Apple Pay to compensate her for the images and allegedly shared a video engaging in a sexual act.
In the documents, a Geauga County Sheriff’s Detective wrote that he reviewed the communication between the teen and Schmidt on Snapchat and saw an exchange of sexual images.
The detective also wrote “there is mention in some of the messages between the two where she states that she is in high school.”
3News Investigates has learned that Schmidt is a 4-6 grade science teacher at Greenview School, according to records from the Ohio State Board of Education. Schmidt was also a former teacher and coach in the Maple Heights school district before his time at Greenview School.
Schmidt was arraigned in Chardon Municipal Court and is currently being held on $20,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, February 5. If convicted, Schmidt could face up to eight years in prison and be required to register as a sex offender on the national sex offender registry.
A spokesperson from the school district provided the following statement on the arrest:
“The district was made aware of a serious legal charge brought against a member of the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools staff. Upon learning of the charge, the staff member was placed on leave, in accordance with standard procedure, to allow the investigation to proceed while respecting the individual’s right to due process.
“Law enforcement has informed us that the alleged victim is not a student at South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools.
“While we recognize that families will likely have questions, the district is unable to provide additional details at this time regarding pending legal or personnel matters.
“The South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools is committed to providing a safe learning environment and will continue to cooperate with this investigation.”
