An eighth-grade social studies teacher in Unit 5 faces felony grooming charges following a grand jury indictment.
Normal Police say Brandon Knapp, 43, of Hudson, was indicted Wednesday by a McLean County grand jury.
Officers with the U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Knapp on Thursday on a McLean County warrant stemming from a Normal Police investigation.
Knapp, who taught at Chiddix Junior High School in Normal, was placed on paid leave in January as police investigated reports of alleged misconduct.
Unit 5 previously placed Knapp on leave last November when the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services [DCFS] investigated allegations involving one of his students. DCFS later issued a report that it found credible evidence of sexual exploitation and sexual molestation committed by Knapp.
Normal Police said they opened an investigation last November following allegations of grooming by Knapp. NPD’s Criminal Investigations Division conducted multiple interviews and worked with the McLean County state’s attorney’s office throughout the course of the investigation, police said in a news release.
Unit 5 Superintendent Kristen Weikle sent a message to Chiddix families indicating the district is working with YWCA McLean County to provide support for students. YWCA's Stepping Stones provides prevention education in sexual abuse.
"We recognize the seriousness of this matter and are deeply disturbed by these allegations. We are making support immediately available to staff and students," Weikle said.
Weikle said the district will be prepared to respond to students who wish to talk.
"While we will not initiate conversations with students about the specifics of this situation, we understand it may come up," she said.
Knapp is being held at the McLean County jail and is scheduled to face a custody hearing Friday.
A Unit 5 spokesperson said Knapp remains on paid administrative leave.
"The district has requested a copy of the charges and will review that information to determine next steps in accordance with district policy and legal requirements," spokesperson Dayna Brown said in a statement.
Grooming is a Class 4 felony.
Normal Police asks that anyone who believes they may have had inappropriate contact to report it to detective Alex Curry at (309) 454-9527 or acurry@normalil.gov.
Knapp has been employed with the district since 2006. He’s one of two Chiddix teachers who have been the subject of police investigations this year. Those incidents are unrelated.
