A Florida middle school teacher has been arrested after authorities said he sent inappropriate messages to a former teenage student and admitted the communications had been improper since 2023.
Christian Schneider, 31, who teaches at Memorial Middle School, was taken into custody Friday on three felony charges following an investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives began investigating Schneider on July 28 and determined he had been exchanging inappropriate messages with a former teenage student from Franklin Middle School, the sheriff’s office said.
Christian Schneider, 31, a teacher at Memorial Middle School, was arrested on Aug. 14, 2026, on three felony charges, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
According to authorities, Schneider told deputies he had been communicating inappropriately with the student since 2023.
Officials have not released the student’s exact age, how the alleged messages came to investigators’ attention or additional details about the content of the communications.
Booking records from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office show Schneider is charged with two counts of solicitation or possession of child sexual abuse material, both second-degree felonies.
He is also charged with unlawful use of a two-way communications device, a third-degree felony.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
The booking records list July 3 as the offense date for each of the three charges.
Schneider was arrested shortly after noon Friday and booked into custody that afternoon, according to jail records.
Each charge carried a $2,500 surety bond, for a combined $7,500. Schneider was released on surety bond at 2:38 a.m. local time Saturday, jail records show.
“Teachers hold a position of trust that comes with enormous responsibility,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “When that trust is exploited, it’s not just a crime, it’s a violation of everything our schools are supposed to stand for. Detectives will continue investigating these cases aggressively, and anyone who abuses their position with a child will be held accountable.”
The sheriff’s office identified Schneider as a teacher at Memorial Middle School and the teenager as his former student at Franklin Middle School.
Memorial Middle School in Tampa, Florida, where Christian Schneider worked as a teacher at the time of his arrest, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. (Google Maps)
The agency did not provide additional details about Schneider’s connection to Franklin Middle School or when he taught the student.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active and that additional information will be released as it becomes available.
News Outlet reached out to the Hillsborough County school district for information about Schneider’s employment status and for comment on his arrest.
