A 42-year-old woman has been arrested on charges of having sex with an Anchorage high school student, and for sending sexually explicit photographs to students on social media and by text message, according to police.
Police said Stefanie Custard faces multiple charges including second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and unlawful exploitation of a minor. She could face additional charges, police said in a statement Friday.
The police investigation stems from a report received last Thursday by a school resource officer assigned to South Anchorage High School, police said.
The officer was told of "sexual activity" involving Custard and male students, said MJ Thim, police spokesman.
Custard is not a district employee, said Catherine Esary, Anchorage School District spokeswoman.
Thim said: "There's no indication that any criminal activity took place on Anchorage School District property or involved any employees at the Anchorage School District."
Police investigation revealed Custard had sex with a student in 2017, Thim said. She also sent sexually explicit photos to several other students in 2018 through text message, Instagram and Snapchat, he said.
Thim said police had investigated allegations in 2017 that Custard had sex with a student, but they didn't have enough evidence to move forward with the case at that time.
"Because of the people who spoke up about what was continuing to happen, we were basically able to re-open the case from last year and we had enough evidence to charge her," Thim said.
Thim said he couldn't provide the students' ages because they're juveniles. He said police continue to investigate how Custard met the students.
"We're still trying to determine how the relationship started and how she made contact with them," he said.
In a statement Thursday evening, the school district said it had asked police to investigate "inappropriate actions of a sexual nature" involving a community member and South High students.
Police said their investigation continues and there could be more victims.
"The sex with a student occurred last year, that should put in perspective the wide net that detectives are working on with this case and why we're asking that if anyone has any additional information, we want them to come forward," Thim said.
Police asked anyone who has information about the investigation or who may have been a victim, to call dispatch at 311.
Custard was arrested Friday afternoon and taken to Anchorage jail, Thim said.