A former teacher in Georgia has been arrested after he was accused of grooming a minor after an investigation allegedly revealed his inappropriate messages with the victim.
Officers with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Miles McLendon on Wednesday, May 13, and he was booked with one charge of grooming a minor for a sexual offense or trafficking for sexual servitude, according to The Oconee Enterprise.
McLendon’s bond was set at $10,000 and he was released one day later on Thursday, May 14.
The investigation into McLendon, 24, began on February 6, which was one year after he started working as a teacher within the Oconee County School System. Authorities learned of the situation when a member of the school system reported the allegations to authorities.
“I [the officer] received a phone call from a member of the Oconee County School System,” the OCSO officer narrative stated, per the outlet. “I was given information about some potential inappropriate messages that a juvenile student received through social media. Once all information was gathered, an investigation was started.”
In light of the allegations, McLendon stopped working for the school system in March and the separation went into effect on March 10. It is not currently clear if McLendon was fired or resigned from the role.
The defendant worked at Dove Creek Middle School as a special education teacher at the time the investigation was launched. He started the job on December 9, 2025, according to a district personnel report viewed by The Oconee Enterprise.
However, McLendon has been employed by the district before he took on the special education teacher role. He first started working as a community coach with North Oconee High School in February 2025 before he was hired as a substitute teacher on May 1, 2025.
Following McLendon’s arrest, the Oconee County Schools issued a statement about the situation.
“Oconee County Schools is aware of law enforcement action involving a former employee. This individual is no longer employed by the district,” the statement read, per the outlet. “Because this is an active law enforcement matter, any additional questions regarding the case should be directed to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.”
It is not currently clear if McLendon has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding McLendon’s arrest.
An investigation into the allegations remains ongoing.
