Clearwater Middle School teacher Cathleen Balman was charged with three counts of indecent liberties with a child. She made her first appearance in court Monday, about two weeks after her arrest.
Balman is scheduled to be in court again next month for a preliminary hearing. Authorities say she had a year long relationship with a student who is now in high school.
Lt. Jeff Weible with the Exploited and Missing Child Unit said they began investigating Balman in September. Investigators found text messages and pictures exchanged between a 15 year-old boy and his former teacher.
"As we gathered more information through our investigation we began to see that there was a realtionship as well," Weible said. The relationship lasted "at least a year" he said.Clearwater Superintendent Mike Roth told Eyewitness News earlier this month, that Balman was on administrative leave pending the outcome of a district investigation. Roth says the alleged victim is currently a student at Clearwater High.
Roth sent letters and emails home to inform parents and students of the investigation. He said the teacher in question is married with two children.
