Northern MN high school employee under investigation for soliciting minor

EVELETH, Minn. (FOX 9) - A northern Minnesota high school employee has been put on leave as he is under investigation for allegedly soliciting a minor and receiving child sexual abuse material. 

Rock Ridge High School teacher under investigation

What we know:

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, a Rock Ridge High School employee is under investigation for soliciting a minor and receiving child sexual abuse material. 

Authorities say on March 5, they received information from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) about several Cybertips involving child exploitation. 

One tip involved the solicitation of a minor in Georgia, and the other involved a person receiving child sexual abuse material. 

Law enforcement say the suspect in both of the tips lived in Eveleth and was an employee of Rock Ridge High School. 

The sheriff's office, the BCA and officers from a task force for internet crimes against children then executed multiple search warrants across Eveleth and Virginia, Minnesota. 

Authorities said they collected "multiple" items of evidence during the search warrants. They also found and interviewed the suspect but made no arrests. 

The sheriff's office does not believe there are any local victims, or that any students at Rock Ridge High School are involved. 

Rock Ridge Public Schools superintendent responds

What they're saying:

The superintendent of Rock Ridge Public School, Noel Schmidt, said in a letter sent to staff and families that the employee under investigation has been put on administrative leave for the "foreseeable future". 

He continued to say that until the legal process plays out, the employee will not be back on school property. 

"At this time, we do not believe that any Rock Ridge students are involved in this investigation, nor do we have any indication that any actions related to the investigation took place on school grounds. We believe that this matter is wholly unrelated to the District. We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously. In addition, we are fully cooperating with law enforcement officers," Schmidt said in the letter. 

What is a Cybertip? 

Dig deeper:

A Cybertip is received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) when an electronic service provider detects child exploitation material on its network. 

Once the tips are received by NCMEC, they are sent to state law enforcement who then sends it to the exact location of the incident, where local law enforcement takes action.