Round Rock ISD Educator Charged With Having Sex With Student, Child Porn

ROUND ROCK, TX — An educator at Stony Point High School is accused of having had a sexual relationship with a student beginning last year, according to newly released affidavits.

Tyrell VanWinkle, 22, was an assistant debate club coach at the high school. Arrest affidavits also indicate VanWinkle received sexually explicit photos from the student with whom he was having a sexual relationship as well as another female student at the school, the Austin American-Statesman said in a report based on the affidavits.

According to the affidavits, a female student told police VanWinkle had made sexual comments toward her and then sent her sexually explicit photos. The student told police she started having a sexual relationship with VanWinkle in 2016, which continued through 2017, according to one affidavit.

The part-time teacher and student would engage in sex in the student's car in the high school parking lot after debate matches, according to the affidavits cited by the Statesman. The student began having sex with VanWinkle after she turned 17, the affidavit indicates.

VanWinkle faces up to 10 years in prison for each child pornography charge and as many as 20 years imprisonment for the child sexual assault charge. A check of Williamson County Jail records indicates a bail of $30,000 has been set for each count on the two possession of child pornography charges and a bail of $60,000 for a charge of sexual assault of a child.

According to the report, VanWinkle worked in the high school's speech, drama and debate programs that typically took place after regular school hours.

Round Rock ISD spokesman Corey Ryan said VanWinkle started working for the district in February of last year, and alleged inappropriate relationships began in April. The spokesman said the man was immediately removed from campus after the allegations surfaced, and was later terminated on May 2.

Corey told the newspaper VanWinkle had passed the district's background check protocol prior to being hired at the school.

Students, parents and school staff members are urged to alert officials of information related to possible wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by educators through the district's Anonymous Alerts programs accessible via roundrockisd.org/anonymousalerts. Anonymous reporting can also be done through the Lighthouse Services phone numbers: 1-800-398-1496 (English) and 1-800-216-1288 (Spanish).

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

Photo of Tyrell VanWinkle via Williamson County Jail records