Teacher Accused of Molesting Young Girls

A kindergarten teacher at Chickamauga Elementary is facing five child sex charges in Catoosa County related to at least two young girls. Warrants against Tonya Craft accuse her of fondling and digitally penetrating little girls.

We've also confirmed at least one of those children was in her kindergarten class.

According to the incident report, a girl told her mother she'd been molested multiple times by Craft at Craft's home on Sycamore Drive in Chickamauga. The incident report also states there's at least one other victim and one other suspect. That suspect is underage, and police are investigating the possibility that the suspect is a victim as well.

We spoke today to the original victim's mother who spoke on the condition of anonymity and says she and Craft were close friends, and her daughter was Craft's kindergarten student.

The woman says her daughter, who is 7 now, was only 5 when the abuse began.

School administrators at Chickamauga Elementary say they've now launched an investigation of their own. Superintendent Melody Day says in the school system's 30 year history, they have never had to deal with allegations of this nature, and they are waiting on official word from the Sheriff's Office before proceeding.

As for the victim's mother, she says her daughter is glad the ordeal is over, adding: "She's so relieved and she's a strong baby.
I know there's a much bigger purpose in all this for her."

Craft's lawyer, Chris Townley tells us his client adamantly denies the charges, and says she was never given the opportunity by the sheriff's office to tell her side of the story. Townley also says investigators promised Craft the opportunity to take a polygraph test, and if she passed it, she wouldn't be charged. That test, according to Townley, never happened.

See UPDATED STORY, Sheriff Disputes Accused Molester's Attorney

Tonya Craft has been charged with four counts of child molestation and one count of aggravated sexual battery. Bond has been set at 50 thousand dollars.