Welcome to Arrest Stories. A forty-two-year-old former Hazard Middle School teacher faces serious charges after allegedly engaging in sexual contact with a minor student and attempting to destroy evidence by deleting social media accounts. Here's what may have happened.
Monty Salyer the Second was arrested in Perry County on charges of first-degree sexual abuse and tampering with physical evidence. According to police reports, Salyer allegedly subjected a child under eighteen to sexual contact while serving in a position of authority at Hazard Middle School.
The investigation began when a fellow student courageously brought the allegations to light. The alleged incidents occurred between August second and August nineteenth, with Salyer accused of exploiting his role as an educator to commit the abuse. Police describe the suspect as "a person in a position of authority or position of special trust."
The tampering charges stem from allegations that Salyer deleted his Snapchat and TikTok accounts in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence that would have been crucial to the investigation. These social media platforms allegedly contained material relevant to the case.
A Perry County grand jury indicted Salyer on September twelfth. He was subsequently arrested and held on a fifteen thousand dollar cash bond with strict conditions including no contact with the alleged victim or any person under eighteen years of age.
Hazard Independent Schools released a statement saying, "Hazard Independent Schools has learned of the indictment of a former employee. We are grateful for the swift action of law enforcement and the courage of a fellow student in bringing the issue to light." The district emphasized that "Our kids come first, and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect them from harm."
School officials confirmed that once the allegations surfaced, they initiated their own investigation before police became involved. Salyer was placed on leave, banned from student contact, and has since resigned from his teaching position.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.