A Tucson middle school teacher and girls high school assistant basketball coach is facing 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor following a three-month investigation.
Timothy James Sonier, a 48-year-old social studies teacher at Dodge Traditional Middle Magnet School and assistant coach at Salpointe Catholic High School, was booked at the Pima County Jail Thursday, according to Tucson Police.
The investigation was launched in December when the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about someone who had uploaded suspected child sexual abuse material, a news release said.
Upon learning that the person was located in Tucson, the case was transferred out of Las Vegas.
Sonier was contacted by Tucson police on the Dodge campus Thursday where a search warrant was served, along with another at his east-side home, TPD said.
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Electronic devices were seized and forensically reviewed to establish probably cause for Sonier's arrest, police said.
Investigators haven't identified any known local victims but TPD did alert both schools that Sonier is employed by.
"The diocese takes these allegations very seriously and is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation," the Diocese of Tucson said Thursday night in a statement, saying Salpointe students and familes who have had direct contact with Sonier have been notified.
"The safety and well-being of all students remain our highest priority," the diocese said, adding that all employees and volunteers are background checked. "To ensure that the diocese fully supports the students, counselors will be made immediately available to the student body and school staff."
Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous tip line, 88-CRIME.
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