A Greenback teacher is in custody after an investigation revealed she was sending inappropriate messages to a male student at another high school, authorities said.

Angela Gaye Masingo, 39, Lenoir City, was arrested Friday morning on charges of solicitation of aggravated statutory rape and solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor. She was being held Saturday night in the Blount County Detention Facility in lieu of $80,000 pending a 9 a.m. March 15 hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court.

Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong and Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider said in a news release that the Greenback school teacher was charged after it was discovered she was sending inappropriate messages to a juvenile over Facebook.

Over the past few days, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office H.E.A.T. (Hi-tech Evidence and Technology) Unit, along with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, as part of its Internet Crimes Against Children Tennessee Task Force, worked a joint investigation on Masingo. It was discovered Masingo was sending inappropriate messages by way of Facebook to a male student at another high school. 

Investigators took Masingo into custody Friday morning.

Authorities have not released the age of the male student involved, or identified which high school he attends. It was also not immediately known how long Masingo had allegedly been conversing with the student via Facebook.

Masingo is a Response to Intervention teacher, according to the Greenback School website. RTI teachers provide early, systematic assistance to students who are having difficulty learning, though the website did not identify what subject or subjects Masingo teaches.

Loudon County Director of Schools Jason Vance said the school is working with authorities and is conducting its own investigation.

“We are fully cooperating with local authorities with the investigation,” Vance said. “Masingo is suspended pending an investigation — both ours, Loudon and Blount County Sheriff’s offices.”

He added that no further decisions will be made until these investigations have been wrapped up.

“Once Blount County, Loudon County and we have completed our investigations, we will decide how to proceed,” Vance said. “I expect all our staff to behave in a professional manner and our students to be safe at all times.”

Elizabeth Trexler of the Loudon County News-Herald contributed to this report.