Joel Ernest Lulinski (Hall County Sheriff's Office)
HALL COUNTY, Ga. - A Flowery Branch football coach and physical education teacher was arrested Thursday after investigators say he used his cell phone to record underneath the clothing of female students.
Coach charged with 27 felonies
What we know:
According to the Hall County Sheriff's Office, Joel Ernest Lulinski, 52, of Cleveland, was charged with 27 counts of using a device to film under or through a person's clothing. Lulinski worked as a teacher and coach at Lanier Christian Academy. Detectives say all the victims are girls at the school under the age of 16.
Following an interview with investigators on Thursday, Lulinski was taken to the Hall County Jail. He is currently being held on a bond of $175,500.
Investigation began with student report
Timeline:
The case began on April 2 when a student told school officials about her suspicions. The school immediately alerted a Hall County deputy who was working extra duty on the campus. That deputy then passed the information to the agency's Criminal Investigations Bureau.
Over the next 12 days, investigators found that Lulinski had used his phone multiple times to take hidden photos or videos of children during normal school activities.
Questions remain in school investigation
What we don't know:
While the sheriff's office has confirmed 27 felony counts, it is not yet clear exactly how many individual students were filmed. Authorities have not said if more charges are expected as the investigation continues.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Hall County Sheriff's Office, which detailed the charges and the timeline of the investigation in an official news release.