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DOVER, Del. (AP) — A high school teacher faces child sex charges after authorities say they caught him in an online sting.
Delaware's Department of Justice said in a statement Friday that Joshua Rutherford of Camden-Wyoming began an online chat with an undercover investigator in February, thinking he was communicating with the father of a teenage girl. Officials said Rutherford expressed his interest in meeting the girl for sex and requested nude images.
Officials say Rutherford, a Smyrna High School teacher, was arrested March 11 after arranging to meet the girl at a Dover park.
Rutherford was charged with sexual solicitation of a child and attempted dealing in child pornography. He was released from custody after posting $50,000 secured bail.
Authorities said additional charges are possible based on an examination of electronic items seized from Rutherford's home.
The school district superintendent said Friday that Rutherford, who was hired last August, is on unpaid leave.
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