ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke City School teacher was arrested on Wednesday following an online undercover chat operation that the Investigations Division of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office conducted with whom they suspected to be a sexual predator.
Authorities said the teacher was under the impression that he was speaking to a girl who was under the age of 15 on September 10. During the conversation, the teacher had expressed his intentions to travel to Alleghany County to meet with the girl for a sexual encounter. Since the individual was an employee of a school system, authorities decided to apprehend the suspect as soon as possible, due to potential safety concerns. Roanoke County authorities were also aware of this investigation and assisted in the operation.
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ACSO said they obtained search warrants for the suspect’s residence, his school computer, and any other evidence on September 17. They, along with the Roanoke County Police Department, executed the warrants the next day. After the execution of the search warrants, arrest warrants were obtained for the suspect.
The suspect was identified as 39-year-old Kevin Joyce. He was charged with 5 counts of Use of Communication Systems to Facilitate Certain Offenses Against Minors (Child Solicitation). Roanoke City Public Schools were also cooperative with law enforcement.
Joyce was taken to Roanoke County Jail where he was held without bond, and he was later taken to the Alleghany County Regional Jail, where he is currently being held.
Roanoke City Public Schools also released a statement outlining the incident. They stated that Joyce had been placed on leave, and his employment status would be determined pending the results of the investigation. They also said that prior to employment, all applicants are vetted through a rigorous process of background checks and reviews. Continuous training and attention to student safety and well-being is an ongoing focus in RCPS.
As educators, we are entrusted with the well-being of the children in our care every day. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We are dedicated to supporting our students and our Forest Park community in any way we can and encourage students in need of counseling to reach out to their school counselor, sign up for counseling through Hazel Health, or call Carilion Connect at (540) 981-8181 for immediate assistance.
Claire Mitzel, Director of Communications & Public Relations at RCPS