Former students of a performing arts teacher in Warren, Michigan, are saying that he had regularly crossed boundaries with his students after his arrest on Aug. 18.
37-year-old Mark Michael Sharrow is a teacher at the Warren Consolidated School of Performing Arts, which is a nationally recognized magnet school for students in grades 9 through 12.
Investigators allegedly found sexually explicit videos of children on Sharrow’s phone.
He was initially arrested for a charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct from Houton Lake, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
“What we had uncovered in the course of our investigation was accusations that involved former students after they had graduated,” said John Bernia, a school superintendent.
Sharrow’s home and phone were searched following his arrest. Investigators allegedly found sexually explicit videos of children on Sharrow’s phone and also discovered methamphetamine and LSD at his house.
He was charged with five counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, five counts of using a computer to commit a crime, one count of possession of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a Schedule 5 controlled substance and LSD.
A judge set Sharrow’s bond at $1 million cash or surety during his arraignment hearing on Wednesday.
Warren Consolidated Schools released a letter to parents and staff about the arrest and indicated that Sharrow was on administrative leave when he was arrested.
“I want to thank the young people who reported difficult information to members of our staff. It is never easy to bring forward serious information, and the bravery of these individuals is commendable,” the letter stated.
“As always, we cooperate fully and work closely with law enforcement and the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office,” the letter continued.
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A former student of the school told WXYZ-TV that the arrest was not surprising because Sharrow’s behavior with the students had raised red flags.
“I wasn’t fully shocked. We all thought he was weird with students,” said Mary Bonkowski, who graduated just a few months ago from the school.
She said she was glad that officials took the accusations seriously.
“I’m very glad that they had the courage to say something, because that’s extremely difficult, especially because you don’t know if you’re going to be believed,” she said. “I mean, historically, a lot of these things have been swept under the rug, so I’m glad that they finally listened and that it was taken seriously.”
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