A former Georgia high school teacher accused of having sex with at least six students was allegedly blackmailed for better grades after some of her students discovered she had an OnlyFans account.
As reported by WSB-TV, Maris Nichols, a 25-year-old former teacher at Alexander High School in Douglasville, had allegedly been blackmailed by some students because of her OnlyFans account, which she had been actively running at the time she was a teacher.
Search warrants served by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office were issued to OnlyFans, Snapchat, AT&T, multiple students, and Nichols uncovered the alleged blackmail plot.
Nichols was arrested last month for allegedly having sexual relations with six students, two of whom were younger than 16. The charges accuse the former teacher of having sex with a student in a classroom closet on April 23, having sex with a student in their truck on May 2, and having sex with a student in a separate incident on May 3. Authorities also alleged she sent explicit photos and videos to several other students, and that recordings of some encounters spread among students via Snapchat.
Authorities also collected genetic evidence and fingerprints from two teenagers involved, surveillance footage from the St. Andrews Golf Course where she allegedly met a student, and a "Jesus Loves You" sweater she wore in a video that allegedly showed her having sex with a student.
A phone previously belonging to Nichols, which was in her cousin's possession, was also seized as part of the investigation. Her mother reportedly asked the cousin to return the device, but they handed it to the sheriff's office, fearing that evidence could be tampered with. Nichols' mother also reportedly attempted to get back Nichols' work laptop, which the school principal, Laura McAdams, was in possession of.
Nichols is facing charges of evidence tampering, two counts of child molestation, four counts of improper sexual contact by an employee, and four counts of grooming of a minor.
The Douglas County School System suspended Nichols and removed her profile from the school's website following the initial allegations.
"Upon learning of the alleged misconduct, the district immediately launched an investigation," the district stated. "Student safety is the district's highest priority. The alleged behavior is unacceptable and violates the professional standards all employees are required to uphold."
