Middle school band teacher resigns after sex arrest

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — Bryce Benning, 23, admitted to kissing and fondling a 14-year-old girl at Chesterfield-Ruby Middle School, deputies said.

"He confessed to it," said Sheriff Jay Brooks. "He knew what he did was wrong."

Benning was band director at the middle school, where he was in his second year, school district officials said.

He was placed on administrative leave but then resigned on the same day.

Brooks said Benning and the student had been sending text messages to each other for a while, but he didn't know the content of those messages.

The alleged sexual incident happened at school Monday afternoon.

Deputies said the girl told a friend about it, and word reached school officials, and by Wednesday, sheriff's investigators were involved.

The school district did not send out an alert or email to parents about the arrest. Middle school parents, like Christi Johnson, were upset to learn what happened.

"Our kids go to school here, and they're supposed to be safe, but things like this are happening," she said.

This is the fifth incident this week of similar crimes in the Charlotte area.

In Rock Hill, Northwestern High School Assistant Principal Andrew Williams faces sex charges involving a 16-year-old girl. Police said that improper relationship goes back to the spring of 2014.

In Fort Mill, day care worker Steven Gentry is charged with molesting two 8-year-old boys. He was fired from Smart Kids Child Development Center and arrested this week.

Pastor Ahmed Lee in Union County was arrested for sex crimes with an 11-year-old. He worked for the school district at the time, and Charlotte teacher Jarrett Murgolo is accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls at Countryside Montessori School.

Benning was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: