The former Onalaska ISD teacher that was arrested in March received another charge, landing him in the Polk County Jail Monday for child grooming.
Jerry Michael Cobb, 48, of Burke, was arrested and booked into the Angelina County Jail in March following warrants on two counts of misdemeanor Class A assault and one count of felony possession of child pornography.
Monday he was admitted into the Polk County Jail at 10:33 a.m. and released at 8:15 that night, posting a $30,000 surety bond for the charge. Child grooming is prosecution of adults who – with intent to commit a child sexual offense – manipulate, entice, or coerce a child under 18.
Agencies that assisted the Onalaska Police Department in March’s arrest were SHSU Police, Polk County District Attorney’s Office, Childrenz Haven and the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office. Police confirmed that the pornographic images found were not of local students.
The investigation began Feb. 11, when the Onalaska Police Department was notified of an incident and interviewed several adults and juveniles, according to a social media post by Chief Byron Dunaway.
A teacher at OISD said Cobb taught sixth grade class last year and was later placed into a life skills class. Life skills classes are where many special education students learn, and some in the class are nonverbal.
An initial complaint on Cobb at Onalaska prompted an investigation, where he received a Class C misdemeanor. After a police investigation concluded, Cobb was able to return.
A Class C misdemeanor assault charge involves intentionally causing offensive physical contact or threatening imminent bodily injury without causing physical pain or injury.
Through the school investigation, Onalaska ISD later learned that Cobb also made inappropriate comments while employed elsewhere. However, that investigation took place after Cobb’s employment at Onalaska began.
Cobb was placed under investigation for the second time in February when a teacher reported his actions. Once that report took place, Cobb was again put on leave and Child Protective Services was contacted. His employment at OISD has since been terminated.
