A teacher at Montgomery Middle School in Le Sueur County is charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old student.
According to the criminal complaint, Troy Michael Bernard began his sexual relationship with the student last summer when she was fourteen. He was her volleyball coach at that time.
Bernard teaches fifth grade and coaches girls' track and volleyball.
The Le Sueur County sheriff's department first became aware of Bernard's alleged conduct near the end of May when a county child protection worker brought the relationship to light.
A Sheriff's deputy spoke to the girl's mother, who acknowledged that she was aware of the relationship and had told her daughter not to see Bernard again. She also said she had confronted Bernard and he admitted that he'd had sex with her daughter.
She told the sheriff she'd discovered the relationship in early May when her daughter failed to return from a run in a timely manner. She said she checked her daughter's cell phone and found text messages between her daughter and Bernard.
The woman then agreed to make a call to Bernard so police could listen. In that call Bernard said he hadn't seen the teen since the woman had confronted him. He said he didn't know how many times they'd had sex and admitted he hadn't always used a condom.
Bernard was arrested on Tuesday and made his first court appearance on Wednesday where bail was set at $100,000.
