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Teacher arrested for sexual assault
ARREST BOOKING CURRENT
Victoria Tatum
Staff Report
Updated: Sep 25, 2014, 4:46 PM
Published: Sep 25, 2014, 4:48 PM

A Newton County School System teacher was arrested Thursday for sexual assault of 15-year-old student.

The Newton County Sheriff's Office received a complaint from the victim's family member that Victoria Tatum, 24, of Decatur, was having inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old male student.

According to an NCSO press release, the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) received the complaint on Tuesday. A forensic interview was conducted, per abuse protocol, and it was disclosed that inappropriate contact between Tatum and the student occurred more than once.

The NCSO said the investigation revealed that the contact began less than a month ago. Probable cause was obtained to apply for an arrest warrant.

Interviews at this point indicate that only one student is involved; however, the investigation is still open.

Tatum was charged with aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, enticing a child for indecent purposes,

Tatum is a ninth grade math teacher at Newton High, reportedly in her first year of teaching.
April 3 crash kills two young adults, injures third
Newton County Sheriff Car---WEB
Kate Verity
Published: Apr 4, 2025, 10:29 PM

NEWTON COUNTY — Around 10 a.m. on Thursday, a head-on collision on Highway 212 left two young adults dead and a third hospitalized.

Joe Navarro, 21, was driving the vehicle and Breanna Smith, 18, was in the passenger seat. Katie New, 20, sat between them.

According to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle lost control while going around a curve and crossed the centerline, where it collided head-on with a box truck. The crash report shows that their vehicle traveled another hundred feet after impact before coming to a stop. It spun, ended up facing the opposite direction on the shoulder of the opposite lane.

Navarro and Smith were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. New was airlifted to Grady Hospital. Her current condition is not known. 

Navarro, Smith and New were not believed to be wearing seatbelts when the collision occurred.

The driver of the box truck was not reported to have suffered any injuries.

This is an ongoing story. The News will post updates as they are made available.