Merkle Indicted on 12 Counts
A Geauga County grand jury has indicted Tyler Merkle, a 26-year-old Chardon Schools employee, for allegedly having inappropriate conduct with a 15-year-old Chardon High School student.
Merkle was arrested April 12 following an investigation by Geauga County Sheriff’s Office detectives.
Authorities had been alerted earlier to possible misconduct after the student’s mother found inappropriate letters Merkle had sent the female.
Merkle was placed on administrative leave from school, where he served as a part-time tutor, study hall monitor and assistant football coach.
A grand jury heard testimony in the case last week and handed down an indictment Tuesday morning.
Merkle was indicted on 10 counts of sexual battery, felonies of the third degree; one count of illegal use of a minor in nude-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony; and one count of illegal use of a minor in nude-oriented material or performance, a fifth-degree felony.
The alleged inappropriate conduct occurred between Dec. 1, 2015, and April 12, 2016.
He previously had posted 10 percent of his $50,000 bond and was released from jail. Prosecutors had asked his bond be revoked after Merkle admitted to having contact with the victim through a digital music application called Spotify.
Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge Forrest Burt allowed Merkle to remain free on bond, but imposed additional conditions, including house arrest, the wearing of a GPS monitor and surrender of his cell phone.
He also is not be allowed to use his home phone or any other phone without one of his parents being present, and further is prohibited from using any computers, tablets or any other electronic means of communication.
