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Police: Bartow Student Wore A Wire In Teacher Sex Sting

News Channel 8 image by PETER MASA

Isaac Nathan Tillis, 29, made his first appearance in court Thursday.

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By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 20, 2007

Updated: 12/20/2007 02:55 pm

BARTOW - The parents of a 16-year-old girl who wore a wire to catch a Bartow High School teacher accused of soliciting sex from her were fully aware and supportive of the plan to catch the man, police said.

Isaac Nathan Tillis

That plan left her alone briefly inside a bathroom with the teacher as he dropped his pants, but just for seconds, said Larry G. Williams, the department's acting director of law enforcement. And officials could always hear what was going on through an audio device.

Three police detectives, a school resource officer and two school administrators who were tailing Isaac Nathan Tillis, 29, and the girl pounced on Tillis when they heard the girl speak a code word from inside the teachers lounge bathroom in the school cafeteria, Williams said.

Tillis was being held at Polk County Jail on charges of solicitation for unlawful sexual activity with a minor. His bail was set at $75,000.

Wednesday's sting was necessary to make a better case against Tillis, who told the girl a day earlier that she could improve her grade in his math class by performing oral sex on him, Williams said.

Bruce Tonjes, assistant superintendent for the Polk County School District, said the district supports the police efforts in the case.

According to an arrest report, Tillis told the girl he could assign extra work so she could raise her grade but she would have "to do something for him."

She asked Tillis what he meant by that, and he indicated oral sex, according to the report.

The student asked for a hall pass to use the restroom. On the pass, Tillis wrote that she could get an "A" in exchange for oral sex, the report states. The student refused and left.

Williams said she promptly notified a dean about what happened, and the Bartow Police Department became involved the next day.

"From the moment we found out about it, we put a plan together to apprehend him on the best charges we could," Williams said. Without the sting, Williams said, the case would have been a "he said-she said."

Equipped with a wire, the girl went back to the teacher. They met in his classroom and walked to the empty cafeteria, with the cadre of police and administrators following, Williams said.

Tillis and the girl apparently locked the cafeteria, because administrators were unlocking the door when they heard the code word, spoken from inside the cafeteria lounge bathroom, Williams said. The teacher had lowered his pants, police said.

Police ran across the cafeteria and arrested Tillis, who was exiting the bathroom area with the girl, according to the report and Williams.

Williams praised the girl's bravery and willingness to report what happened.

"It's a very good feeling when the whole plan comes together," Williams said.

Williams is aware of no other complaints against Tillis, but he said the department has not ruled out that possibility and will continue to investigate.

Reporter Billy Townsend can be reached at (863) 284-1409 or wtownsend@tampatrib.com.

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