Sevier County Teacher Suspended

A Sevier County teacher has been suspended from his job and now faces charges after accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced and an investigation was launched. Sevier county School officials say that back on February 19, they received a report from a parent about inappropriate behavior between their child and 32 year old teacher McKinley Maples. Sevier County schools immediately referred the issue to law enforcement. The next day, Maples was notified that he was being suspended.

Maples has now been indicted on eight counts that include four counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, one count of aggravated sexual battery, one count of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of exploitation of a minor by electronic means. The indictment shows that there were possible multiple victims that are between the ages of 13 and 18. The incidents took place between December 1m 2022 through February 14, of this year. Maples was taken into custody by Gatlinburg Police on Tuesday and was later released.