Former Mercer County teacher, coach arrested for sending pornographic images to minors
Aug. 13—PRINCETON — A former Mercer County teacher and coach has been arrested for sending nude photographs and videos of himself to underage girls via social media.
James Stehlin Jr., 34, of Edenton, N.C., is charged with three counts of sending obscene matter with the intent to seduce a minor, Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Cochran said.
Stehlin was arrested in North Carolina on Wednesday.
The victims were students at Princeton Middle School when Stehlin taught there, according to a criminal complaint filed by Mercer County Sheriff's Department Detective Steve Sommers. However, it wasn't until years later — when the victims were 15 and 16 — when the alleged crimes occurred. At this time, Stehlin had moved out of state.
According to Sommers complaint, one victim said that around June 2020, Stehlin added her and several other juveniles to Snapchat and Facebook. The girls knew him as a previous teacher at Princeton Middle School and accepted his friend requests.
"After adding them, Mr. Stehlin would make comments through Facebook Messenger and Snapchat about how they looked and how 'grown up' they have become," Sommers said.
Then, between June and July 2020, "Mr. Stehlin sent nude photos and videos of himself to the juveniles through Snapchat and Facebook Messenger," Sommers stated in the complaint.
The photos and videos showed graphic images of Stehlin's genitalia, according to the court documents.
Cochran said the current allegations filed against Stehlin did not occur while he was employed by Mercer County Schools.
The investigation was conducted in cooperation with North Carolina authorities and the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit, and in consultation with Prosecuting Attorney Cochran.
Cochran praised the efforts of law enforcement for a thorough investigation prior to obtaining the arrest warrants.
The first offense charge of sending obscene matter with the intent to seduce a minor is a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison.
Stehlin is currently incarcerated at the Chowan County, N.C., Detention Facility as he awaits an extradition hearing.
— Contact Samantha Perry at sperry@bdtonline.com
