The grooming charges are first-degree misdemeanors.
Eaton police began investigating Bingle on July 17 after a student reached out to the school district and said they observed Bingle being inappropriate with some female students, according to court records.
They reportedly saw Bingle and another student arguing and said Bingle and that student were sometimes alone in his office. They also provided a detective with two pages of messages on Discord, an instant messaging and communication app.
The messages Bingle sent the other student had a sexual nature and were “highly inappropriate,” according to court documents.
Bingle also reportedly was picking another female student up from her home and taking her to athletic practices and watching her competitions.
During a band trip to Kings Island, Bingle bought the second student food and other items and was seen playing with her hair, according to court records.
The reporting student said Bingle watched a YouTube show band students watched and started making jokes in class around the girls about a word from the show referencing a sex act, according to an affidavit.
He also reportedly told girls about his first sexual experience when he was a teenager.
A detective went to the high school around noon on July 17. Band camp was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Eaton Community Schools Superintendent Scott Couch went to see if Bingle was in his office and found him in the band room with the door locked and the lights off with a female student, according to court records.
Bingle claimed he was helping the student because he felt sorry for her and she was a talented musician, an affidavit read.
When he was shown the Discord messages with the other student, Bingle reportedly said they were inappropriate.
He admitted to being in an “emotional relationship” with the second student, and the detective seized Bingle’s phone and Apple watch, according to court records.
The second student said Bingle started messaging her several months ago. He touched her inappropriately about a month before, and they eventually engaged in sex acts, according to an affidavit.
He was placed on administrative leave that day.
Bingle is being held in the Preble County Jail. He’s scheduled to appear in Eaton Municipal Court on Wednesday.
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