A former teacher of the year in Baltimore, Maryland, has been arrested after he was caught in the middle of a sex sting, and he’s since been charged with soliciting a minor.
Dennis Jutras was arrested on Friday, May 15, after he engaged in sexually explicit conversations and met up with a detective, who was posing as a 15-year-old boy online, according to a press release shared via social media.
Jutras, 61, was charged with sexual solicitation of a minor, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
The investigation into Jutras began on May 7 when a detective, posing as a teen boy, was contacted on social media, according to WBAL TV11. During the conversations, Jutras said he was an educator within the City Schools and told the detective that he taught at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute before he became an administrator in the district.
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Jutras initiated sexually charged conversations with the detective, which included sending inappropriate sexual photos.
The detective eventually set up a time to meet with Jutras at a park, where he was taken into custody without incident.
Following his arrest, investigators have asked those who may have experienced similar situations with Jutras to contact authorities. Anyone with information is urged to call the Criminal Investigations Division at 410-836-5428.
Jutras is next scheduled to appear in court on June 12.
It is not currently clear if Jutras has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office told Us that they have no additional updates to share regarding the case as of time of publication.
Baltimore City Public Schools broke their silence about the matter by issuing a statement to WBAL TV11.
“Baltimore City Public Schools places the health and safety of students among its highest priorities. We have learned that one of our employees, Dennis Jutras, has been criminally charged in Harford County with solicitation of a minor,” the district said. “While Mr. Jutras worked in a role where he worked with schools and students as part of our Gifted and Advanced Learning program, we are not aware of any impact on City Schools students.”
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The district added that they “encourage anyone who believes they may have information relevant to this investigation or may have been impacted to contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.”
Additionally, City Schools said that Jutras has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler also reflected on the situation, asking CBS News Baltimore how it could “get worse.”
“I’m concerned. He goes this far this fast with someone he thinks is a 15-year-old boy,” Gahler said. “He interacts with children every day in his job.”
