By J.R. Tidwell / Editor

A Chilton County High School teacher was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 3, on a total of 12 charges that involve alleged sexual contact with minor students, according to a press release by the office of District Attorney Randall Houston.

Ashley Nicole (Nikki) Maddox, 31, was arrested on 12 charges that include two counts of a School Employee Having Sexual Contact with a Student Under 19, two counts of a School Employee Soliciting a Sex Act with a Student Under 19, four counts of a School Employee Distributing Obscene Material to a Student and four counts Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.

The charges include two Class C felonies and 10 Class A misdemeanors, and all of the offenses involve the victimization of minors, according to the release.

Three victims were discovered as part of an investigation made by the Clanton Police Department.

“The investigation initially began as an administrative matter at Chilton County High School that was quickly turned over to the School Resource Officer once criminal acts were alleged,” according to the release. “Once the investigation began developing, other students came forward and disclosed Nikki Maddox had subjected them to inappropriate and illegal sexual contact. All the charged offenses occurred over the last few months. During that time, Nikki Maddox was an employee of the Chilton County Board of Education.”

According to the bio for Nikki Maddox on the Chilton County High School website, she is a 2005 graduate of CCHS and has been teaching at the school since 2016. She has previously taught at Clanton Middle and Clanton Elementary.

According to the release, no court date has been set yet for Maddox.

Chief Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson praised the investigators for their diligence and professionalism throughout the process.

“I can’t say enough about the dedication and hard work of the Clanton Police Department and the cooperation of the Chilton County Board of Education,” he said in the release. “These are serious offenses, and while we pray things like this don’t happen, unfortunately sometimes they do. When the public trust is betrayed, we want to act as swiftly, but as thoroughly as possible.

“The investigators on this case have worked tirelessly to uncover the truth. I hope we have found all there is to find. If there are more victims out there, please know that you are not alone and coming forward is the right thing to do. We have so many honorable people in Chilton County who have devoted their lives to being the best teachers they can be. Bringing those who use their position to victimize students to justice is the first step in rebuilding the trust of the public.”

Maddox was released on bonds totaling $17,500.