A substitute teacher at a middle school in Hillsborough County was charged with showing students sexual pictures while he was on the job. He is now in jail.
This happened on December 9, 2024, in the classroom at Jennings Middle School. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said that Chase Rush, a substitute teacher, told his seventh-grade students to “turn on” the AirDrop feature on their iPhones.
Detectives then learned that Rush, who is 22 years old, allegedly sent four students with iPhones inappropriate content that included pictures of naked people.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “It’s disgusting to think that someone we trusted to teach and guide our children could act in such a predatory and shameful way.”
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When police interviewed Rush, he admitted that he had shown the same material to a family member who is 12 years old.
“This man used his role as a teacher to prey on kids. He had every opportunity to be a positive influence; instead, he chose to become a predator,” Chronister said.
HCSO says this incident is still under investigation.
