PHOENIX — A Phoenix teacher is accused of two felony charges after allegedly sending sexually explicit videos to a 14-year-old former student and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with her over social media.
Reno Ferris, 29, a 7th and 8th-grade PE teacher at Global Academy of Phoenix IB, was arrested and accused of two counts of providing or furnishing obscene materials to a minor, both class 4 felonies according to court paperwork.
Phoenix police responded on September 8, 2026, to a call generated by the Department of Child Safety after a crisis hotline reported the 14-year-old female victim may have been groomed by her former PE teacher. On September 14, 2026, paperwork states the victim participated in a dedicated forensic interview during which the victim said she had been communicating with Ferris since mid-August 2026 across multiple platforms, including X, Instagram, Tumblr, and Snapchat. She said Ferris made her feel validated after she told him she was feeling sad and depressed, and that she felt attached to him despite knowing the relationship was inappropriate.
According to court documents, Ferris sent the victim explicit photographs through Snapchat and discussed sexual acts with her during their conversations. During a conversation on X, Ferris acknowledged the victim was underage and said he liked the age gap. He allegedly sent her two obscene videos through X.
Investigators say they located those videos on the victim's devices after her mother consented to digital forensic extractions. The videos were sent on September 6, 2026, from an X account investigators confirmed belonged to Ferris. A signed search warrant was submitted to X on September 15, 2026, and X confirmed the account's registration information the following day, linking it directly to Ferris.
Ferris was taken into custody on September 16, 2026, according to court documents. After being read his Miranda rights, he allegedly admitted to communicating with the 14-year-old via social media and acknowledged having inappropriate sexual conversations with her. He admitted to sending at least one pornographic video to her through X. He allegedly told investigators he knew what he was doing was wrong and that he knew the victim was underage. He said they never met in person and only exchanged messages.
During his initial court appearance, Maricopa County prosecutor Brooke Gaunt argued for strict release conditions.
"These are very serious charges," Gaunt said. "He sent two sexually explicit videos to the 14-year-old victim. Mr. Ferris was the former teacher of the victim. There is strong evidence as he made admissions and there's extensive digital evidence from the victim's devices as well as from Mr. Ferris' X account. We are concerned that he is a significant danger to the community given the nature of the charges and the strength of his evidence, as well as his access to children given his employment."
The judge set bond at $75,000 secured. If released, Ferris must wear an electronic monitoring device, comply with a curfew of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., have no contact with the alleged victim or any minor other than his 7-month-old son, and refrain from internet use except in connection with his legal case. He may not own or access a smartphone, may not leave the state, and must comply with any order of protection issued against him.
The Alhambra Elementary School District told ABC15 it placed Ferris on administrative leave on September 15, after learning of the law enforcement investigation.
"The District takes all allegations regarding student safety very seriously and is committed to maintaining safe, welcoming, and supportive learning environments for all students," the district said in a statement.
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