TYLER, Texas — A former Tyler ISD employee and aspiring Olympic athlete was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded to raping and having an inappropriate relationship with a middle school student.
Andre Jefferson, 29, of Tyler, pleaded guilty to improper relationship with a student and sexual assault of a child during a hearing Monday morning in the 475th District Court. He was then sentenced to 10 years in prison for each offense.
Court officials said he will serve the sentences at the same time. He will also have to register as a lifetime sex offender.
Jefferson was arrested in February after the Tyler ISD Police Department investigated allegations and Jefferson was placed on suspension, according to an arrest affidavit.
The student said Jefferson raped her and touched her inappropriately. The document shows that all these interactions happened off-campus, including at his apartment, according to the affidavit.
Police also discovered a text message thread between Jefferson and the student, which he had at one point he told her to delete. A family member of the child saw the messages and notified the school, according to the document.
In 2016, Jefferson, a 2013 John Tyler High School graduate, was competing in the trials for a spot on the United States Olympic track and field team, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
According to the Tyler Paper article, Jefferson wanted to finish in the top three in the long jump to earn a spot in the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.