Columbia Public Schools teacher arrested for sexual contact with student

Columbia Police detectives arrested Sean Thomas Diestel, 30, of Boone County, on May 10 for felony sexual contact with a student following a sexual offense investigation involving a minor.

Diestel was a teacher with Columbia Public Schools when the reported incident took place.

On May 4, detectives were called to 4303 S. Providence Road, otherwise known as Rock Bridge High School, for a student reporting sexual contact with a teacher.

Detectives learned the female victim was enrolled in a class taught by Diestel at the Columbia Area Career Center, according to the official press release.

The release goes on to say that the victim reported she and Diestel engaged in a sexual relationship from September 2017 to December 2017. The sexual contact occurred in the 6000 block of Gateway Boulevard and the 1800 block of East Point Drive in Boone County.

The victim was 17 years old at the time of the reported relationship.

CPS sent ABC 17 the following statement:

“By law, the school district cannot comment on personnel matters or individual student information. I can provide you with basic employee information. Sean Diestel is currently on administrative leave. He was first hired in 2015 as an instructor at the Columbia Area Career Center.”