Jeffrey Camp

FALCONER — A music teacher at Falconer Central School was charged Thursday amid accusations he allegedly sent a student hundreds of text messages and attempted to meet up with the juvenile.

Jeffrey T. Camp, 49, was taken to Chautauqua County Jail for centralized arraignment on a charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

In a news release, the Ellicott Police Department said it was alerted July 13 to a “suspicious situation involving a Falconer Central School music teacher and a juvenile student.”

An investigation determined Camp allegedly sent 600 text messages to the student and had “attempted to get the student to meet up with him in various places in the Falconer area.” The Fredonia resident also attempted to bring the student into the school after hours, Ellicott police said.

Officers executed a search warrant, issued by Ellicott Town Court, and Camp’s phone was secured as evidence.

Stephen Penhollow, Falconer Central School superintendent, released the following statement Thursday evening: “The Falconer Central School has learned that an employee of the District was charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The District was recently made aware of an investigation by the Town of Ellicott Police Department regarding this matter. It has and will continue to cooperate and work with law enforcement, as well as other involved entities. The District will continue to make the safety and well-being of our students its utmost priority.”

An investigation remains ongoing, and further charges are possible. “The Ellicott Police are working closely with the Falconer School Administration,” the department said.

According to SeeThroughNY, Camp earned a salary of $84,750 in 2022 while an employee at Falconer.