A Portage middle school teacher accused of ‘sexting’ former students is now facing a new charge after Portage Police said that he had a sexual relationship with a girl younger than 16.

Bryan L. Tyman, 44, of 6225 Brie Ave., was charged today with sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class B felony punishable by a term of six to 20 years.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed by Det. Janis Regnier, a Portage High School student reported that, beginning in August 2012—when she was still 15—Tyman and she had intercourse, and that their sexual relationship continued through as late as last week, on Jan. 24, the day before he was taken into custody.

Tyman—a teacher at Fegely Middle School in Portage—friended the girl on Facebook in May 2012, they began private-messaging one another and then “hanging out together,” and finally they commenced a sexual relationship in August, Regnier stated in her affidavit.

The girl was able to describe Tyman’s tattoos and “accurately draw the interior of his house,” where the girl said the sexual encounters occurred, Regnier stated. She also produced a letter written by Tyman in which he states “My love for you must be kept quiet until you are old enough,” Regnier stated.

Tyman was charged on Feb. 25 with two counts of child solicitation and two of vicarious sexual gratification after former students reported that Tyman had sent them “sexually inappropriate” text messages, had texted them a “sexually explicit picture of himself,” and had asked them to send similar photos of themselves, Portage Police said.

The students advised investigators that they had not send Tyman those pictures.

Posted 1/30/2013