June 17 2008 - Nathan Powell, 28, a Whitwell High School special education teacher and coach, was arrested and charged with 18 total counts of statutory rape after an investigation into alleged misconduct with an underage girl.
He faces nine charges of aggravated statutory rape and nine charges of statutory rape by an authority figure.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Children’s services started investigating allegations about Powell in April. The school district suspended Powell the same month and he resigned.
District Attorney Mike Taylor says there is evidence Powell and the girl had sex multiple times, many of which happened on campus. Powell says the charge of statutory rape was raised to aggravated, because the 28-year-old is more than 10 years older than the alleged victim.
