Christian school principal tells teen they can be together after divorce, Florida cops say

The principal of a Christian school is accused of sexually battering a student and saying they could be together after he got divorced, Florida authorities said.

Aaron Michael McFatter, 28, is charged with sexual battery of a 16-year-old or 17-year-old and is no longer the principal of Grace Fellowship Christian Academy in the Florida Panhandle, officials said.

McFatter’s attorney information isn’t available in Washington County court records.

Grace Fellowship Christian Academy said it was aware its former principal has been arrested.

“We consider the safety of our staff and students of utmost importance,” school officials wrote on Facebook.

Beginning in December 2023, McFatter, who was also a worship pastor, and a student at his school began messaging over Snapchat and WhatsApp, the teen told investigators.

They started calling and sending photos as the conversations “progressed into more flirting and inappropriate communication,” deputies reported in an arrest affidavit.

This went on until May, officials said.

The pastor complained about his marital problems and said he was going to get divorced, but by the time the proceedings were over “they could be together,” investigators said.

Records show McFatter’s wife filed for divorce in May, only two weeks before deputies said they began investigating the criminal case.

McFatter is accused of having “unlawful physical and sexual contact” with the teen in April, when the two of them rode in his truck on the way home from Panama City Beach, investigators said. When another driver in the group learned the teen and McFatter were alone, they pulled over, and the teen was asked to get out of the pastor’s vehicle, according to deputies.

A warrant for his arrest was issued July 30, records show.

The school said it conducts criminal background checks for its personnel, and all employees are mandated reporters.

“We report allegations immediately to the appropriate authorities any time we are made aware of them,” officials said.

The private school is in Bonifay, about halfway between Pensacola and Tallahassee.

This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Christian school principal tells teen they can be together after divorce, Florida cops say."