Trigger Warning: This article contains references to the alleged child sexual exploitation that some readers may find distressing.

A South Carolina teacher has been arrested for engaging in explicit conversation with a minor student. Her arrest comes after Florence County police launched an investigation into a report of a public teacher trying to persuade a minor to engage in a s*xual act.

Megan Lawrimore Bolt, a chorus teacher at Florence One Schools, was charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and booked into Florence County Detention Center on Tuesday. She was later released on a bond of $10,000.

According to police, Bolt allegedly communicated s*xually explicit texts with a 13-year-old or younger student between April 1 and August 5, with the intent of “persuading the minor to engage in a s*xual act.”

According to records from the South Carolina Department of Education, Bolt received her teaching certification in December 2002 in music and choral education and remains valid through June 2029. WBTW reported that Bolt was employed as a public school teacher during the period of the alleged explicit communications.

 

After the case came to light, Bolt’s name was removed from the list of faculty members on the district’s or schools’ websites. Speaking about Bolt’s employment, the district said in a statement, “This situation was brought to our attention by a parent of the student involved and we took immediate action and reported it directly to law enforcement. The individual referenced in this matter is currently not an employee of Florence One Schools. Any further information regarding the circumstances of the arrest should be directed to law enforcement.”

Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye identified Bolt as a teacher at John W. Moore Middle School.

The incident has drawn sharp reactions online, with many criticizing the teacher for the indecent act and the light punishment for her.

A netizen commented, “Released on a $10k bond the same day after months of explicit texts to a kid 13 or under. That bond amount feels like a joke for the charge. How many more of these cases have to stack up before the hiring and oversight process actually gets fixed?”

“We’ve got to vet our teacher hires better. I know we need people but this is ridiculous,” another added.

A third user said, “Teachers and principals are frequently being arrested for attempting to engage in inappropriate relationships with minors. The very place parents trust to be safe havens for their children is being used to groom and S*xually abuse them – and that place is the school,” while a fourth wrote, “She should be locked up for life and never around another child.”

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.