NOBLESVILLE (Jan. 8, 2015) – A Noblesville High School employee faces several charges in connection with a child seduction case.
Court records show Michael Douce was charged with multiple counts, including child seduction, dissemination of material harmful to minors, child exploitation and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Douce turned himself in to police around 4 p.m.
Last month, Noblesville school officials said an educator was being investigated for inappropriate conduct with a student. The Noblesville Police Department was contacted, although no additional information was released at that time.
Noblesville’s website listed Douce as assistant director of choirs. The school issued the following statement:
We learned today of the arrest warrant for Mr. Michael Douce.
Consistent with our Dec 19th public statement, Mr. Douce’s employment with Noblesville Schools has officially been terminated for inappropriate conduct. We removed Mr. Douce from student contact as soon as we become aware of this situation in December, and have provided counseling services for all students in his class. Having first brought this matter to the attention of Noblesville Police, we worked aggressively during their investigation, and appreciate their dedication during this time.
We are angry with Mr. Douce for violating our trust, and more importantly the trust of his students. We are saddened for the victims impacted by his actions, and our thoughts go out to them and their families.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a mother alerted school officials after finding nude pictures of Douce on her daughter’s phone. Police also found text message exchanges between Douce and the girl.
“I am thinking about you and wanting you,” read one exchange from Douce to the student, court documents said.
“The only reason we are here to talk about these allegations is because a mother found suspicious messages and photographs on her daughters phone,” said Mathew Kestian, Hamilton County Deputy Prosecutor.
Douce and the girl had a close call on Dec. 15-16 when Douce was over at the girl’s home and the girl’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend unexpectedly returned.
“I see the headline now… ‘high school choir teacher caught naked on elementary school playground fleeing from student-girlfriend’s home,” read one text message allegedly sent from Douce to the teen.
Other text messages said:
”If we hadn’t gotten that jump start of him pulling in the drive vs. hearing a car door slam and then doing a lackluster check out the window… haha
“glad I didn’t park in the driveway”
“it feels good to have my boxers back on the correct way…”
“throwing my clothes at me and then running out and locking the doors”
“and I made sure there wasn’t a used condom laying on your desk”
Court documents said the girl’s mother became suspicious because of the way her daughter talked negatively about Douce’s relationship with his wife. She couldn’t figure out why her daughter knew so much and had such a strong opinion, court documents said.
During an interview with police, the teen said she started talking with Douce over winter break last year. They exchanged text messages and Douce became “flirty.” Douce kissed her after school one day in January 2014.
“I think it’s really creepy and gross,” said Halley Beemer, a Noblesville High school student.
Sexual encounters followed at school, in the storage closet at Douce’s office and the girl’s home. The girl also told police that Douce gave her marijuana and alcohol at his home, where they also had sex. The girl estimated they had sexual contact “between 30 to 50 times,” court documents said.
That girl wasn’t the only one Douce is accused of having inappropriate contact with. Court documents detail Douce’s relationship with a second student. That student exchanged text messages with Douce starting in fall 2013. Those messages turned sexual around spring break 2014.
“It’s important for parents to know whats going on in their children’s lives–especially with social media and cell phones,” said Kestian.
The second student said she engaged in sex acts at Douce’s house and sent nude pictures of herself to him. She said he provided her with alcohol.
