Greenwood teacher gets 3 years in prison for child seduction
Update: Matthew Hockersmith was sentenced on April 27, 2023, to three years in the Indiana Department of Corrections followed by one year of probation after pleading guilty to three counts of child seduction, court records show.
Original article: A Greenwood High School teacher and coach accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student was charged with three counts of child seduction Dec. 14, 2021, according to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Matthew Hockersmith, 40, of Greenwood, was arrested in December 2021, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The parents of the student told a detective they were concerned about the relationship between Hockersmith and their daughter and agreed to let investigators download information from the girl’s phone, according to the affidavit.
A detective discovered the student and teacher had exchanged text messages and Hockersmith asked the student to use a messaging app that was hidden or password-protected, according to police.
The detective discovered messages between Hockersmith and the student were sexual in nature, according to the affidavit.
In an interview with a detective, the student said she had developed a close relationship with Hockersmith, but things progressed too quickly, and she did not know how to handle the situation or end the communication, according to the affidavit. The students told investigators she was in one of Hockersmith's classes and was his teacher assistant.
The student told a detective she did not want to have a physical relationship with Hockersmith, according to the affidavit.
Hockersmith and the student told investigators about three instances of intercourse, according to the affidavit.
Hockersmith said inappropriate communication with the student — including photos and messages — began in September or October of this year, according to the affidavit.
Hockersmith posted bond and has been released from jail pending a court date, according to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Greenwood Community School Corporation did not return a request for comment in regard to Hockersmith’s employment. Hockersmith didn't have an attorney listed in court records Tuesday afternoon.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Greenwood teacher gets 3 years in prison for child seduction
