HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Deputies with the Madison County Sheriff's Office say an employee of the county school district has been arrested and charged with statutory rape and sodomy following the discovery of a sexual relationship with a minor. They are now asking the public for tips related to the incident and to see if there are any other potential victims.
In their account of the arrest, deputies stopped 26-year-old Makayla Ann Anderton about 11:45 p.m. Saturday as she was driving near Highway 72 and Shields Road. During the traffic stop, a 15-year-old minor was seen inside the vehicle.
Further investigation with the Major Crimes Unit revealed that Anderton, an employee of the Madison County School System, and the victim had been engaging in sexually explicit texting, including the exchange of photographs and videos.
The sheriff's office says investigators learned Anderton and the teen have met "several times" and engaged in sexual activity.
Anderton was arrested and booked into the Madison County Jail Facility. She is charged with distributing obscene material to a student, 2nd-degree statutory rape, 2nd-degree sodomy, and being a school employee engaged in a sex act with a student under the age of 19. She was released on $16,000 bond.
It was not disclosed which campus either Anderton or the victim are affiliated with. Madison County School System released this statement to FOX54:
At this time, we are actively working with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) to determine the facts in the case and the charges brought against this individual. MCSS will fully cooperate with detectives as they investigate this situation.
The Madison County School System will confirm that the individual arrested was an MCSS employee at the time of the arrest. As of Sunday afternoon, the individual in question is no longer an employee of the Madison County School System. The person in question was hired earlier this month following a background check conducted by the Alabama State Department of Education.
As the MCSO investigation continues, the Madison County School System will defer all investigative questions to law enforcement and prosecutors.
Anyone with information regarding this incident or who believes they know or are the victim of a similar assault should call the Madison County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit at (256) 533-8820.