Ex-Tippecanoe substitute teacher pleads to misdemeanor in explicit photo case

May 2—TROY — A former Tippecanoe High School substitute teacher accused of having a sexually explicit photo on his personal iPad that was seen by a student pleaded to a misdemeanor charge and was fined Thursday in a Miami County court.

James E. Hoke, 72, of Tipp City, pleaded no contest to disseminating matter harmful to a juvenile and was found guilty in Municipal Court.

Judge Samuel Huffman sentenced Hoke to a suspended 30-day jail term and a $50 fine and court costs.

Tipp City police were called to the high school in February on a report of a student seeing an inappropriate photo.

Hoke was employed as a long-term substitute in the library. The student reportedly was talking with Hoke about history topics and flipping through photos on his iPad. He told police he stepped away from the iPad briefly, during which time the student continued to look at photos and came upon the inappropriate photo, according to the police report.

The student's report was slightly different, saying she saw the photo while the substitute was scrolling through photos and discussing family history. The student said Hoke appeared not to notice, and she mentioned to him that the explicit photo should be removed from the iPad. The student told police she believed it was an accident.

The next day, the student told Hoke that she had told an adult what happened. Hoke and the student then went to office to self-report the situation. Hoke was escorted from school property that day, according to police.

He was removed from the school substitute system the following day and the listing flagged on the Frontline Substitute System for other districts' information, according to a letter dated the following day in his personnel file.

School officials have declined comment.