Randy Scott Jennings

GASTON COUNTY -- An area high school teacher was arrested Thursday morning on Internet sex charges.

Randy Scott Jennings was a teacher at East Gaston High School who taught business education classes.  Jennings was also a tennis and basketball coach. 

Detectives at the Gaston County Police Department were joined by police from Chesterfield County, Virginia.  One of those detectives said he posed as a 13-year-old girl in an online chat room and that Jennings reached out to him. The detective said the conversation quickly turned sexual.

Jennings has been charged with two counts of soliciting a minor using communications, in this case the Internet, nine counts of distribution of pornography and two counts of intentive indecent liberties on a child.  He is being held in the Gaston County Jail without bond.

East Gaston High School was informed of the charges Thursday morning and suspension proceedings began immediately.  Jennings is suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. 

Police said Jennings is married and has children of his own.  Police informed his family of the charges.  Jennings was arrested Thursday morning at school.  Students were there, but police said they did not witness the arrest.