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On January 3, 2024, 32-year-old Tatum Hatch, who was a teacher at West Monroe High School, was apprehended after being accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student.
Disclaimer: This article contains content related to s*xual exploitation that may be inappropriate for some readers. Discretion is advised.
KTVE reported that on December 15, 2023, deputies of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office were informed by the West Monroe Police Department about the alleged misconduct. The father of the 15-year-old told authorities that, according to his son, the relationship continued for a year and a half. The father also reportedly showed an Instagram message thread that supported the victim’s claims.
Following her arrest, Tatum Hatch was charged with computer-aided solicitation of a minor. On January 4, 2024, she was released from the Ouachita Correctional Center after posting a $10,000 bond.
Tatum Hatch allegedly exploited the victim with her infant son present
KNOE-TV reported that the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office interviewed the 15-year-old victim. During the interview, he reportedly showed them s*xually explicit Instagram messages between him and Hatch that had been screen-recorded.
According to the report by KNOE-TV, the messages revealed Tatum asking the victim to visit her through her bedroom window, along with other explicit messages. The conversation also included the victim telling the accused that he was feeling scared, to which she allegedly responded that she was scared the victim would find someone else.
KTVE reported that authorities found one of the conversations that took place at an after-hours school function where Hatch reportedly attempted to get the victim to sit with her. A year prior to the investigation, the former also visited the victim’s residence.
According to the report by KTVE, in one instance, the victim got in Tatum’s vehicle, where she allegedly touched his genital area with her infant child present inside.
The report by KNOE-TV stated that the victim informed authorities that Tatum Hatch also sent nude photos to him. However, all of the photos were sent via vanish mode on Instagram, which means that they were no longer available. Authorities issued search warrants to Instagram that helped recover some of the messages and verified that they were sent from Tatum's account. Following the completion of a forensic download, an explicit photo of her was also reportedly recovered from the victim's device.
Tatum Hatch reportedly admitted to conversing with the victim through Instagram
KTVE reported that on December 16, 2023, Tatum Hatch was interviewed by authorities, and she reportedly admitted to talking to the victim through Instagram Messenger. She also allegedly stated that she was worried about admitting to certain questions during the interview, as that could lead to losing her children. Hence, she decided not to answer those questions.
KNOE-TV reported that, as per arrest records, Hatch also admitted to giving the victim $500–$600 over the past year, as she was afraid after hearing a rumor about him.
According to the report by KTVE, on December 15, 2023, Tatum Hatch was placed on administrative leave, and later, on December 26, 2023, she resigned. She is slated to appear in the 4th Judicial District Court on January 5, 2024.
