Illinois Teacher Sends Girls 47,000 Sex Texts

(Aurora, Illinois) The 42-year-old band director formerly at West Aurora High School, Steve Orland, has been accused of sexual conduct with female students.

Orland faces multiple counts of battery, sexual assault and sexual abuse. Evidence in the case includes cards, love notes and "personal and intimate" text messages from Orland to the girls. Reportedly, 47,000 texts were sent to the girls by Orland.

One girl showed police the text messages from Orland on her phone, which police took into evidence, according to court records. Some of the text messages sent by Orland contained sexual language, authorities said.

Orland is accused of fondling the girls and having them perform oral sex on him at different times between December 2010 and May 2011. Most of the incidents occurred at the high school, prosecutors said, although one sex act was performed in his minivan as Orland drove one girl back to school after a concert.

In one case, authorities said, a teacher caught Orland leaving a school storage room suspiciously twice in the same day, and found a different girl still in the storage room each time Orland left.

In January 2011, while on a band trip to Peoria, Orland sent one of the girls text messages to the effect of “I want to kiss you right now” and “I want you now,” authorities said. No sex acts occurred during the trip, although the girl apparently went to Orland’s hotel room at some point, authorities said.

Orland was arrested last spring and subsequently fired from his job. He is currently free on bond with a court appearance scheduled for February 9.

Tip: Kenny Solomon