PORTAGE, Ind. – An Indiana middle school teacher faces four felony sex charges after authorities allege he attempted to solicit two former female students.

Fegely Middle School social studies teacher Bryan Tyman, 44, is charged with two counts each of child solicitation and vicarious sexual gratification. Tyman allegedly had inappropriate contact with the girls through text messages and phone conversations, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Portage Police Sgt. Keith Hughes told the newspaper a student anonymously reported witnessing a sexually graphic picture Tyman sent of himself to one of the victims’ phones and reported it to the school district’s resource officer.

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The picture message was one of the most recent in the teacher’s alleged ongoing relationships with the two former students, police said, although authorities are unsure when the relationships began and didn’t release the ages of the student victims.

Tyman teaches social studies at the middle school, but he’s also the coach of the Portage High School girls’ golf team, NWITimes.com reports.

“Recently Tyman had started sending messages that were sexually inappropriate in nature,” Hughes said in a release, according to the Sun Times.

Tyman tried to goad the girls into sending him back similar pictures, but they declined his invitation, police said.

Tyman allegedly admitted sending sexually explicit messages when questioned by authorities, Hughes said, and he is currently held in Porter County Jail without bond, according to the Sun Times.

School officials refused to comment on the case, or what they plan to do about Tyman. The superintendent claimed the district is staying mum out of privacy concerns for Tyman.

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It’s unclear whether they notified parents of the teacher’s arrest.

“Matters that compromise kids are taken very seriously by the superintendent and they will be dealt with,” Superintendent E. Ric Frataccia told the Sun Times.

Local citizens and parents shouldn’t simply take Frataccia’s word for it. District officials need to explain to the public what happened, and what they plan to do to prevent it from happening again.