Bluffton teacher booked on sex charges

BLUFFTON, Ind. (WANE) - Police have concluded an investigation that lead to a Bluffton-Harrison School teacher charged with two counts of Sexual Misconduct Tuesday.

Tracey A. Pace, 36, of 1333 West South Street in Bluffton was formally charged in Wells County Court with two felony counts of Sexual Misconduct with a minor (Class B and C Felonies) and a third charge of Dissemination of material harmful to a minor (Class D Felony). Bond was set at $30,000.

On December 15, 2009, the Indiana Department of Child Services received an allegation of sexual abuse involving Pace and a child under the age of 16.  Bluffton Police said the investigation concluded December 19 when the three charges were filed.

The charges allege that between February 1 and March 19, 2007, Pace was involved in deviate sexual conduct with a child between the ages of 14 and 16; between January 1 and January 31, 2007 Pace performed or submitted to fondling or touching with the intent to arouse or satisfy sexual desires of the child or herself; and between January 1 and February 28, 2007, Pace knowingly dispersed matter with pornographic photographs harmful to minors.

Pace is currently being held in the Wells County Jail awaiting an initial hearing.

According to the Bluffton-Harrison Superintendent, Wayne Barker, Pace was hired as a culinary arts teacher on May 27, 2008. The acts Pace is accused of occurred prior to her being employed as a teacher for Bluffton-Harrison and these allegations do not involve current or former students of Bluffton-Harrison Schools.

Barker said the school district did not know about these acts when it hired Pace. The allegations just came to light last week, as part of a police investigation.

Barker said Pace has presented her resignation and the Board of Trustees will take action on the resignation to determine the status of her future employment at the January 11, 2010 school board meeting.

Pace is currently on Administrative Leave, which means she is on Suspension with Pay until that meeting.