Ex-Blount County teacher arrested in Georgia on child sex crime charges

BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — The Blount County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that a former high school teacher was arrested in Georgia and is set to be extradited back to Tennessee to face multiple child sex charges.

Shane Rewis, 51, of Maryville, was taken into police custody Tuesday morning in Georgia and is pending extradition to Tennessee on several charges. Earlier this month, he was indicted on two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child, trafficking for a commercial sex act, three counts of exploitation of a minor by electronic means, and sexual exploitation of a minor by a Blount County Grand Jury.

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The sheriff's office's investigation into Rewis began in May after two underage victims reported that he had contacted them through electronic means with inappropriate comments and photos, BCSO explained. Throughout the investigation, another underage victim was identified.

After he was indicted, investigators with the sheriff's office as well as agents with the U.S. Marshals Service Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force and the Southeast Regional Task Force began searching for Rewis, the sheriff's office stated. He was arrested early Tuesday morning and he is currently being held in the Seminole County Jail.

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In October, the Blount County Sheriff's Office confirmed to 6 News that it was investigating Rewis, but did not share the nature of the investigation. Blount County Schools shared that Rewis was a former teacher at Heritage High, and his personnel file revealed that Rewis resigned from his position at the school in September.

Reports inside the personnel file also revealed that Rewis was being investigated for "inappropriate communication with a student that is explicit," and that the communication with students was done over a social media platform.