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Former Anderson schools custodian sent sexually explicit messages to 11-year-old student, docs allege

Anderson Police Department.JPG
Posted at 2:03 PM, Oct 05, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-05 14:08:46-04

ANDERSON — A former substitute janitor at Anderson Community Schools has been charged after police say he sent sexually explicit messages and photographs to an 11-year-old student through social media, a court document shows.

Trevor Lane, 24, asked the victim to have sexual intercourse with him several times and on at least one occasion sent her a picture of his genitals, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Lane also repeatedly created new social media accounts to contact the girl after she tried to prevent him from messaging her, the affidavit alleges.

At one point, he asked the girl to send him "personal pictures" and asked her to "promise no one will find out," according to the affidavit. He also told her that "what we talk about stays between us and only us and no one else. Or anybody else."

An investigation found that Lane messaged the girl as far back as April 24.

During an interview, he initially told detectives that his social media had been hacked and that he was locked out of his account. He later admitted to sending explicit messages to the girl and said he "just messed up and made a mistake," according to the affidavit.

Lane is charged with felony counts of child solicitation and dissemination of matter harmful to minors.

He was scheduled to appear for an initial hearing at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Madison Circuit Court.

A jury trial has yet to be scheduled.

Anderson Community Schools spokesperson Brad Meadows provided the following statement to WRTV:

Mr. Lane was employed at Anderson Community Schools (ACS) as a substitute custodian. At the moment we were first made aware of the allegations against Mr. Lane his supervisor immediately had him come to the ACS central office and turn in his keys. Since that time, and throughout this investigation, he will not be called to work as a substitute custodian or permitted access to any of our school buildings. Because the allegations involve a child under the age of 18 we also immediately reported the information we had received to the Department of Child Services and the Anderson Police Department.