Band Teacher Accused Of Sexual Relationship With Student

CARTERSVILLE, GA — A 38-year-old Cartersville man and school band director has been arrested and charged with aggravated child molestation, sexual exploitation of a child and obscene telephone contact after it was discovered he had an "inappropriate relationship" with a former student, police said.

On Jan. 15, North Cobb Christian School administration contacted the Acworth Police Department with information regarding an inappropriate relationship between teacher and band director Craig Dean Godfrey and a former student, police said.

An investigation revealed that Godfrey had been in a sexual relationship with a student, now an adult, from 2016 to 2019, police said. The investigation found that the student was a sophomore at the school when the inappropriate relationship began, police said. In addition to physical contact, evidence uncovered communication and explicit photos were exchanged between the suspect and the victim using a social media app, police said.

Godfrey was taken into custody and was being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Acworth Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 770-974-1232.