COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. – A former teacher from Richmond County has been taken into custody by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office over allegations of having explicit images of minors.

43-year-old Ryan Thomas Manley was arrested July 3rd.

Authorities say Manley had about 40 images of Child Sexual Assault Material at a home on Calloway Drive in Evans.

He’s charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children and remains in the Columbia County Jail.

The Richmond County School System reported that Manley, who served as the media specialist at Richmond Hill Middle School, concluded his employment there on May 28^th.

The school district noted that Manley’s final workday at Richmond Hill Middle occurred five days after the school year ended, which was Friday, May 23^rd.

He had previously been listed as a 7^th Grade Social Studies teacher on the school website during the 2023 to 2024 school year.