The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 03:52 PM

Arizona Elementary School Teacher Pleads Guilty To Two Counts of Sexual Misconduct With Foreign Exchange Student

An Arizona elementary school teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of sexual conduct with a 17-year-old Swedish foreign exchange student.

Joshua Schroder, 36, will be sentenced October 12, Maricopa County Superior Court officials said.

The girl allegedly exchanged more than 600 text messages with Schroder in the span of a month before the relationship allegedly turned sexual.

A friend of the student told police she noticed Schroder texting the girl suggestive pictures and comments including "I love you," AZCentral.com reported.

Goodyear police arrested Schroder in February on suspicion of nine counts of sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Schroder teaches at Rainbow Valley Elementary School in Buckeye, Arizona, and is the coordinator of the foreign exchange student program. He's been teaching fourth grade for the past decade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.