HUMBLE, Texas — An Humble ISD teacher pretended to be a teenage girl in order to get explicit photos from male students at the middle school where he worked, according to new court documents.
Tyler Hardy-Croskey, 25, is charged with one count of sexual performance by a child and 10 counts of possession of child pornography.
Houston police arrested Hardy-Croskey at his home on April 16, according to the principal at West Lake Middle School in Atascocita. The suspect is an 8th grade U.S. history teacher at the school but will not be on campus, Dr. Ken Hodgkinson said in a statement.
It started in October 2020, police said.
According to a report, one victim found a note in his backpack from a mysterious girl named "Sarah," who claimed to have a crush on him.
Eventually, police said the two started exchanging sexually graphic text messages and the child was asked to send a nude photo of himself. Investigators said sexually lewd pictures were also sent to the child, which appeared to show teenage boys.
Investigators said the child's parent found about the images and messages from "Sarah," as well as "Ty," on his mobile devices and reported it to police.
During the investigation, officers confirmed there was no "Sarah" and learned the messages were coming from a temporary number belonging to Hardy-Croskey.
Since the suspect's arrest, police said a second student has come forward claiming he had a similar experience with a teenage girl named "Sarah" around the same time frame.
Police said the two chatted over text and the girl would start sexual conversations and ask to trade nude pictures. Investigators said the child started to become uncomfortable and stopped responding.
At some point, police said the texter revealed that she was not "Sarah' and instead another boy in his class. According to police, the number was again connected to Hardy-Croskey.
Humble ISD police are in communication with the Houston Police Department about the case.
Anyone with information or knowledge of other possible victims is encouraged to contact Humble ISD Police at (281) 641-7900.
