Joshua Thomas Sessoms, a science teacher and coach at Southern Nash High School until last week, an alum of the school and a former N.C. State University football player, was arrested Monday night by Raleigh police on charges that included statutory rape of a child and committing a sex act with a 15-year-old female student from the school. Police said the Oct. 6 incident happened at a Raleigh residence to which Sessoms, 24, had brought the girl.
Sessoms also was charged with taking indecent liberties with a student and statutory sex offense with a child.
Sessoms played football for N.C. State University through the 2016 season, and had played football and basketball for Southern Nash.
In warrants that police obtained for Sessoms’ arrest, they said he lived at the College Inn apartments on Western Boulevard across from the N.C. State University campus.
Police declined to say if that was where they believe the incident happened.
Sessoms was hired last Jaunary to teach science at Southern Nash, according to Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools spokeswoman Patricia Hollingsworth.
The district did not renew his contract in June because there was an issue regarding his license to teach, Hollingsworth said, but a local partnership hired Sessoms in August and placed him at Southern Nash again.
Sessoms was a volunteer coach for football and men’s basketball and tennis at the school, Hollingsworth said.
Sessoms resigned his position on Oct. 23, she said.
When Sessoms was booked into the Wake County Detention Center, he told officials he lives in Wilson, his home town.
Police declined to say how they found about about the incident, but said their investigation led them to Sessoms.
He was held in lieu of $1.5 million bail.
