LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A Lakota East High School teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a student pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday to a sexual battery charge.
The Butler County Sheriff's Office said deputies began investigating 42-year-old Justin Daniel Dennis after receiving information about an inappropriate relationship between him and a female student during the 2021-22 school year. In addition to being a teacher at the school, Dennis was listed as the adviser for the group the student was in.
After a full investigation, deputies arrested Dennis on Aug. 4, charging him with sexual battery.
The magistrate set Dennis's bond at $100,000. His attorney, Chelsea Panzeca, said they plan to fight the charges.
WATCH: A Lakota East teacher made his first court appearance after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a student
"I got on to this [case] July 22," she said. "Mr. Dennis was hearing some rumors of allegations, immediately retained counsel and is obviously wanting to fight this."
Dennis is scheduled to be back in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing. If convicted, Dennis faces one to five years in prison.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, the alleged victim went to the Butler County Sheriff's Office on Monday and gave deputies a recorded statement of the allegations.
The complaint says Dennis and the student engaged in sexual acts multiple times in Dennis's classroom, as well as his home, his previous residence and multiple other locations. The student was 17 at the time, according to the court document.
The alleged victim also showed deputies a text thread with Dennis where the two were "talking about the past sexual relationship," the complaint says.
"This case is deeply disturbing," Sheriff Richard Jones said in a statement. "Teachers are placed in positions of trust and authority, especially when working closely with students. Just like law enforcement officers, they are expected to uphold the highest standards of conduct. This betrayal of trust will not be tolerated. We will continue to aggressively pursue justice for victims and ensure the safety of our children."
We reached out to Lakota Local Schools, where a spokesperson said in a statement that Dennis was "immediately placed on paid administrative leave after district leaders learned that a complaint was made."
"This individual and their alleged actions do not align in any way with the values or character of Lakota Local Schools," the statement says. "Again, the safety of our students is always our first priority and we will investigate any accusation or threat."
Any other potential victims are asked to contact the sheriff's office at 513-759-7347.
WCPO has had a long-standing policy not to use mugshots of suspects unless the person is still on the loose or officials believe there could be additional victims. Because the sheriff's office has asked any other potential victims to contact them, we have decided to include Dennis' mugshot at this time.
