Richard Lee DeLong, who teaches online learning at Crossroads Academy, was arrested Wednesday by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
According to the AJC, the teen and his mother turned over his phone to law enforcement authorities on Tuesday after he received inappropriate texts from DeLong. While the phone was in the Sheriff’s Department’s possession, DeLong continued to send texts to the phone including nude photos of men. DeLong also wanted to set up a time to meet the teen for a sexual encounter.
School administrators confirmed to the AJC that DeLong has also been put on administrative leave.
“The veteran teacher is perhaps better known as a major figure in contemporary Sacred Harp singing, a type of choral music popularized in the South in the 19th Century. DeLong, who participated in the recording session for the Civil War flick ‘Cold Mountain’ and performed at the Academy Awards, has instructed at more than 60 singing schools in the U.S. and was invited to teach in England in 2000, according his to bio,” the AJC reported.