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Valley teacher arrested in Chandler sex sting

Posted at 12:35 PM, Jun 06, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-06 15:51:19-04

A teacher for in Scottsdale has been charged for allegedly trying to pay for sex with an underage girl. 

Court records show the teacher has been with BASIS Scottsdale for a year. He reportedly set up a profile page on a social media application and used it to set up a pay for sex meeting with a girl he believed to be 15 years old.

Police report Connor Ray Cleland, portrayed himself as a 16-year-old on an undercover social media application. In reality, he's a 24-year-old teacher.

The on-line conversations lasted about two weeks. On May 26, they set up a meeting where Cleland would pay the '15-year-old' $40 for oral sex.

That afternoon, Cleland, a Scottsdale resident, went to a home in Chandler, near Arizona Avenue and Queen Creek Road to meet the girl. Police were waiting for him and reportedly found $40 in cash in his pocket when he was arrested.

Cleland has been charged with prostitution with a minor, age misrepresentation and luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

According to Basis Schools, "The faculty member has been terminated and BASIS Scottsdale will cooperate fully in the police investigation."