Former Jones County band director charged with sexual assault

A former Jones County High School band director was charged with three counts of sexual assault Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Corey Tanner, the band director, resigned Sept. 3 amid reports from school officials that he’d had an “inappropriate relationship” with a student.

The three alleged assaults took place at off-campus locations “within the last few weeks,” Jones County Sheriff Butch Reece said Thursday. He added that the relationship with the student “probably has been going on for a while.”

Tanner, 32, was being held without bond at the Jones County jail. He is scheduled to have his first-appearance court hearing Friday.

“This investigation is ongoing, and investigators are still preparing and executing search warrants, as well as collecting evidence from many locations in Middle Georgia and in and around the city of Atlanta,” a release from the sheriff’s office said.

“The welfare and safety of students and staff are of top priority in the Jones County school system,” Superintendent Charles Gibson said in a statement from the school district.

To contact writer David Schick, call 744-4382 or find him on Twitter@davidcschick.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Former Jones County band director charged with sexual assault ."