The administrator of Mountain Range High School is accused of child abuse

A Mountain Range High School administrator who allegedly sent sexually explicit photos to a student was charged Thursday in Adams County District Court with two counts of child abuse and one count of internet sexual exploitation of a child.

Tate Drane, 27, is charged with three felonies, including sexual assault of a child by someone in a position of trust and sexual assault of a child, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Drane was arrested by Westminster police on Monday after multiple Safe2Tell reports alleging he had sent “inappropriate photos to an underage student.”

Investigators found that Drane sent a freshman girl 13 photos of his face, body and genitals with obscene captions and asked the girl to send nude photos back, according to an arrest affidavit.

Drane had previously assaulted the girl when she was in high school, but she did not report the assault, police said.

Drane is on administrative leave until further notice, Adams 12 Five Star Schools officials said this week.

His next court date has not yet been set.

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