A Madison High School math teacher was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after police said they discovered child pornography on his iPhone during a forensic examination.
The child pornography was not related to any Madison County students, according to Sheriff Buddy Harwood, but Robert Burnette, 30, was arrested and charged with six felony warrants for third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor after a Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigation revealed Burnette was secretly recording and photographing students.
“On Tuesday, May 24th my office was notified of a complaint regarding a teacher at Madison High School,” Harwood said. “The school administration and my school resource officer received a report that math teacher Robert Burnette was secretly photographing or recording students. Based on that report my detectives and the Madison County school administration began an immediate investigation.”
Three felony counts of secretly using a photographic imaging device to view another’s body or undergarments, 22 felony counts of possessing a photographic image obtained in violation of the peeping statute, and 16 felony counts of secretly using or installing a photographic imaging device to arouse or gratify sexual desire were added to the charges, according to Harwood.
According to the sheriff, the North Carolina State Bureau of Inquiry cooperated with the investigation.
According to a news release on May 26, Madison County Schools was made aware of an allegation against Burnette on May 24 and immediately suspended him.
“We immediately turned the allegation over to our Sheriff’s Department for investigation,” Superintendent Will Hoffman said. “In addition, Mr. Burnette was immediately suspended and has been restricted from all unsupervised access to Madison County Schools’ campuses in order for the school district to investigate the matter. The school district is continuing to cooperate with the law enforcement investigation, as well as conducting our own internal investigation.”
Burnette, according to Hoffman, had a one-year contract that ended at the end of the school year. He was a sophomore at Madison High School.
Burnette is being jailed on a $325,000 secured bond at the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility.
Harwood said his office contacted federal authorities with the Department of Homeland Security for more information on the probe.
Burnette is scheduled to appear in Madison County court on June 7.
Last known contact information:
Address: 104 Arrowood Rd Weaverville, NC 28787
Phone: (828) 645-4591
