A Texas substitute teacher and her boyfriend are accused of child sex offenses.
Madison Jones, 30, was apprehended after patrol officers with the Midlothian Police Department were “dispatched to investigate a report of a potential sexual assault involving a child” on Dec. 17, according to a police press release shared on Dec. 24.
Jones was arrested after the initial report on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, along with “multiple additional related offenses,” per the release.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, WHMI and WFAA, police and jail records have indicated that those additional offenses include possession of more than 500 visual depictions of child pornography and two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Also arrested was Jones’ alleged boyfriend Zackery Dondlinger, who was taken into custody by the Texas Department of Public Safety on Dec. 23 in Loving County. He was arrested on a charge of sexual performance by a child in connection with the case, according to police.
“There was an allegation made that she was involved in an offense against a child and a boyfriend was involved as well,” Midlothian Assistant Chief of Police Scott Brown stated. “She was employed in our local school district, and this has no connection with her job as a teacher. There is no nexus between her work in education in this case.”
According to Dondlinger’s arrest warrant affidavit, authorities say the case came to light after a friend of Jones called the police and alleged that Jones told her she recorded herself performing sexual acts with a 5-year-old child and then sent the video to Dondlinger.
Officers interviewed Jones, who allegedly “admitted to recording sexual videos” with the child, per the affidavit.
“Madison admitted she sent the videos to her boyfriend, Zackery, on Snapchat,” the affidavit claims.
During a subsequent search of her phone, detectives allegedly discovered a sexually explicit message between Jones and Dondlinger referencing the child, per the affidavit.
The Midlothian Independent School District (ISD) tells PEOPLE that Jones worked as a substitute teacher at Heritage High School and Baxter Elementary for a total of four days over the last 12 months. She is no longer employed by the district.
It’s unclear if either Jones or Dondlinger has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Midlothian Police Detective Dawson Frazer at (469) 672-0056.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to http://www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.