Former Akins High School tutor arrested, accused of touching student inappropriately
A former Austin school tutor has been arrested and charged with indecency with a child, after police say the 28-year-old man inappropriately touched a 14-year-old student at Akins High School.
Isaiah Xavier Smith has been charged with indecency with a child, a second-degree felony. District police say Smith is the man seen carrying a firearm on public sidewalks near several Austin schools over the past two weeks, leaving parents rattled.
Austin school district police arrested Smith on Friday in connection with the Oct. 25 incident at Akins in South Austin, according to an arrest affidavit.
The district said Smith worked as a third-party college readiness tutor at the school in September and October.
Police said Smith grabbed a student's genitals over their clothes in the school's computer lab, according to the affidavit. Police said Smith released other students from a tutoring session in the lab but asked one teenager to stay behind. Police used security video to verify that the student and Smith were alone together, according to the affidavit.
In a prior incident, police said Smith had offered to buy the child shoes and underwear and give them money, according to the affidavit.
After the Oct. 25 report, administrators immediately ended Smith's access to the school, the district said in a statement to Akins parents.
"Your child's safety is our greatest concern," Angel Wilson, assistant superintendent of secondary schools, said in a statement. "We are doing everything we can do to understand how this incident occurred to prevent situations like this in the future."
The district also confirmed Monday that Smith was the person seen walking outside various campuses, including public and private schools, while displaying a long gun.
More: 'He had a pistol and a gun': Man seen with firearms near schools frightens Austin parents
A man walking near Webb Middle School, St. Francis School and other nearby campuses in North Austin alarmed parents, who called police.
People in Texas are legally allowed to carry guns in public, such as on public sidewalks near schools but outside a 1,000-foot buffer, but the district said school police officers kept an eye on Smith while he was near Austin schools.
Smith also serves on Austin's Economic Prosperity Commission, which advises the City Council on matters related to construction and job creation.
As of Monday evening, Smith was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail, according to Travis County Jail records.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Former Austin ISD tutor arrested, charged with indecency with child
