A teacher in Dawson County was arrested on Tuesday and charged with multiple counts of sexual exploitation of children and unlawful eavesdropping/surveillance. 

According to Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson, Ryan Dennis Coker, 38, of Dawsonville was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon and is being held without bail. 

Coker is alleged to have been in possession of photographs depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and is accused of, “observing, photographing or recording” the activities of an individual in a private place without the victim’s consent. 

Johnson said that detectives began investigating allegations against Coker earlier this week when an alleged victim, a local minor, came forward to authorities.

Following Coker’s arrest the Dawson County School System released a statement stating that they are cooperating fully with the sheriff’s office investigation. Prior to his arrest, Coker served as the Business Education teacher at Dawson County High School, according to Dawson County School Superintendent Dr. Damon Gibbs. 

On Wednesday, Gibbs told the Dawson County News that Coker submitted his resignation to the Board of Education on Tuesday afternoon. 

Coker is being held at the Dawson County Detention Center on six felony counts of sexual exploitation of children and unlawful eavesdropping. 

This incident will be investigated by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of investigation, Johnson said. 

Anyone with further information on this case is asked to email the sheriff’s office at dcsoinfo@dawsoncountysheriff.org.