(WWJ) A former substitute teacher in Michigan will spend 40 years in prison in federal prison for sexually exploiting minors.
Investigators said 34-year-old Timothy Higle of Clawson used his position to befriend over a dozen teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17, approaching them over Snapchat.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, then coerced the teens into sending sexually explicit images, paying them through apps like Venmo or with drugs or alcohol.
Federal authorities said Higle directed his victims in graphic detail on what types of photos or videos he wanted to see such as specific poses and body parts.
Federal court documents showed six teen girls reported that he paid them for nude photos.
Officials said Higle then extorted his victims by threatening to post their images online, and harassing them on other social media accounts. He also propositioned victims for sex, offering to pay victims as much as $500 to $1,000 for sex acts.
According to a report by Fox 2, Higle at one point worked in schools in the East China School District, which serves East China Twp., Marine City, St. Clair and neighboring towns.
One victim reported Higle to Michigan State Police in 2024.
In April of this year, he pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and child pornography charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI and and the Michigan State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean King of the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children Unit.
“This former teacher is a scheming pervert who hurt children for more than a decade. Now he has a 40-year sentence because law enforcement caught him,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon, in a news release Friday.
“This sentence makes one thing clear: those who choose to exploit children will face serious consequences,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This defendant’s actions were a betrayal of public trust, and today’s outcome reflects our commitment to protecting vulnerable victims and holding offenders accountable. I commend the diligent investigative work of our FBI Oakland County Resident Agency, in partnership with the Michigan State Police, for bringing this predator to justice.”
