The Pella Police Department arrested former Pella Schools employee Benjamin James Thompson, 31, of Ankeny, on a warrant out of Marion County.

According to a press release from the Pella Police Department, on Wednesday, June 10, law enforcement authorities arrested Thompson. The warrant charges Thompson with Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee – Pattern and Practice/Scheme of Conduct, and two counts of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee. The criminal charges arise from events occurring in the Pella community during the summer of 2014 involving Thompson and a now graduated high school student. At the time of the event, Thompson was employed as a teacher with the Pella Community School District.

Thompson will appear before a Marion County judge for his initial appearance. Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee – Pattern and Practice/Scheme of Conduct is a Class D felony and carries with it a period of confinement of no more than five years and a fine of between $750 and $7,500 for each conviction. Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee is an aggravated misdemeanor and carries with it a period of confinement of no more than two years and a fine of between $625 and $6,250 for each conviction. A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and a person charged with a criminal offense is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

For more on this story, check out today’s Oskaloosa Herald.