HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A former HISD middle school teacher was arrested Friday after police say he had a 14-year-old student perform sex acts on camera and fondled her in a parked car.
Dale Vanwright, 63, was a design teacher at Tanglewood Middle School when the crimes allegedly occurred.
Court documents say the victim was dating one of Vanwright’s relatives, who happened to be a fellow Tanglewood student, at the time. (Eyewitness News isn’t saying how they’re related in order to protect the victim’s identity).
Police say the victim eventually began doing video calls with Vanwright after school.
In a February 2024 call, which court documents indicate appears to have been made from Vanwright’s cross-adorned northeast Houston home, he allegedly asked to victim to expose herself.
Prosecutors say he told the victim that if his relative couldn’t please her, he could help. He then allegedly had her perform a sex act on camera, saying he would hang up if his wife walked in.
Police say things escalated in May when he began fondling the victim in his parked car outside a west Houston store, urging her to ‘let him touch it.’
Investigators say the victim resisted and only got Vanwright to stop by reminding him they still had to pick up his relative from practice.
It’s unclear how the allegations came to light. The victim was interviewed earlier this month and charges weren’t brought until Thursday.
According to court documents, Vanwright lost his job at Tanglewood in March after being accused of kissing and hugging another 14-year-old student.
ABC13 asked HISD for comment, but hasn’t received one.
