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By FRANK LEWIS

PDT Staff Writer

A substitute teacher has been arrested for allegedly approaching male students and wanting to pay them for oral sex.

William J. Holtzapfel, 30, of Wheelersburg has been charged with one count of compelling prostitution, a second-degree felony.

Scioto County Sheriff Marty V. Donini said his office received a call on Thursday from a concerned citizen saying they had information a substitute teacher had been approaching male students wanting to pay them for oral sex. Donini said during the investigation detectives interviewed several people, including an alleged victim.

“Due to the serious nature of this crime it was a high priority and my office acted upon on it quickly,” Donini said. “Detectives were able to organize an undercover operation where they monitored the suspect’s contact with the victim and were able to set up a meeting location in the Ashley Corner area near Wheelersburg where the suspect showed up to pay for oral sex and was detained and brought into custody.” Donini said the alleged victim in the case is an underage male student.

The Sheriff’s Office said Holtzapfel had substituted at several districts but was primarily employed in the South Webster (Bloom-Vernon) district, when the alleged offense occurred.

Lowell Howard, superintendent of South Central Ohio Education Service Center, was asked how substitute teachers are hired.

“We handle their (local districts’) personnel in the sense we take the applications; do all the background checks — the BCI (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation) checks — and make sure that they have the proper certification from the Ohio Department of Education,” Howard said. “And then, at that point, once they clear all the legal obstacles, we send the nominations out to the school districts that the applicant checks.”

Howard said some applicants want their names sent to all districts, and others want their names sent to only certain districts, usually based on the length of travel to and from the job.

“Once they are hired by the local district, then they are paid by the local district,” Howard said.

Donini indicated there could be more victims in the case and he said he encourages all victims to contact the Sheriff’s Office.

Holtzapfel appeared Thursday in Portsmouth Municipal Court and is being held on a $ 25,000 bond.

Sheriff Donini said more charges could be presented to a Scioto County grand jury at a later date.

He said anyone with information regarding the case can contact Detective Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091. He said all calls will remain anonymous.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com.