Thursday, March 27, 2025
A Coryell County Grand Jury recently indicted a former eighth grade Gatesville ISD earth science teacher on two counts of an inappropriate relationship with a student.
Christine Cockrell, 54, was arrested on the charges in May 2024. She is scheduled for an arraignment on Feb. 26 and a pre-trial on March 26.
Background
The allegations involve Cockrell sending sexually explicit messages to a 15-year-old student and a 17-year-old student who now lives in Ohio.
According to a statement by Gatesville ISD at the time of her arrest, the school was notified in April 2024 that a student allegedly received inappropriate messages from Cockrell.
The statement said Cockrell was placed on administrative leave so law enforcement could investigate the allegation. The school noted that she also submitted her letter of resignation and is no longer permitted on Gatesville ISD property.
Two complaints filed against Cockrell in May state that the 15-year-old student revealed during a doctor’s appointment that Cockrell had sent him “sexually explicit” messages through Instagram in October 2023.
“During this time, the conversation involved meeting up for sex, but they did not do so,” the complaint said.
When questioned by school administrators, Cockrell admitted to messaging students on Instagram but could not “recall whether or not a photograph of her breasts had been sent in any of the chats,” per the complaint.
The student also told investigators that Cockrell began messaging him sexually through Instagram in the middle of his eighth-grade year.
“During the conversation, Christine talked about many of her past sexual partners and things she enjoyed sexually,” the complaint states. “Christine mentioned that she wanted to take a ‘younger guy under her wing and teach him stuff, like 16 years old.’”
The complaint also states that Cockrell would ask questions about the student’s genitalia.
Cockrell also revealed to school administrators that a former student, who now lives in Ohio, propositioned her for sex.
After investigators contacted the former student, they learned that Cockrell messaged him through Instagram on his 17th birthday and told him that he was “cute.” When the student told Cockrell that he was only in high school, she responded with “no one has to know.”
During the interview, investigators learned that Cockrell sent “a nude photograph of her breasts and a full nude photograph of herself” and requested a nude photograph of the student.
A forensic search of Christine’s phone revealed two photographs of the student’s face, one from March 2023 and another from July 2023, according to the complaint.
Cockrell was released on bond following her arrest in May.
