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Band director accused of sex with student

Published  October 3, 2019 10:08pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 5 Atlanta

GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Hall County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Daniel Berry Merck, 50, Wednesday following an investigation into an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student.

Daniel Berry Merck, 50 (Hall County Sheriff's Office)

Detectives said they initiated an investigation after they were contacted by the Hall County School District.

Merck is the band director at Chestatee High School.  

According to the Sheriff's Office investigation, Merck engaged in a sexual relationship with a female 16- year-old student in 2016. Investigators said they determined that there were several instances of sexual contact between Merck and the student over a period of several months. They also ascertained that Merck was in possession of a sexually explicit digital photograph of the student

 Merck was taken into custody without incident at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office headquarters on Thursday afternoon after Investigators obtained warrants for his arrest.

He is charged with sexual exploitation of children and sexual assault by a person of supervisory authority.

He was booked into the Hall County Jail on Thursday evening. The case remains under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.