Teacher Arrested in Hillsborough County Child Exploitation Investigation

A Hillsborough County teacher has been arrested after detectives said he engaged in inappropriate communication with a former teenage student over a period of several years.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Christian Schneider, 31, a teacher at Memorial Middle School, became the subject of a criminal investigation on July 28, 2026.

Investigators said Schneider had been sending inappropriate messages to a former student from Franklin Middle School. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Schneider told deputies that the communication with the victim had been ongoing since 2023.

Schneider was arrested on August 14.

He faces two counts of solicitation or possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said teachers occupy positions of trust and have a heightened responsibility toward students.

“When that trust is exploited, it’s not just a crime, it’s a violation of everything our schools are supposed to stand for,” Chronister said.

The sheriff added that detectives will continue aggressively investigating allegations involving adults who abuse positions of authority over children.

The investigation remains active, and authorities said additional information may be released as the case develops.

The charges are allegations, and Schneider is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.