Female Indiana teacher faces charges of child molestation over forcing teens to have group sex while wearing ‘Scream’ masks: prosecutors

Fortinberry, a former teacher at Eminence High School, was taken into custody in February and has been booked into the Morgan County Jail on $150,000 bail. Authorities said there are at least five minor victims, with some as young as 13, News 8 reported.

Authorities launched an investigation in August 2024 after two students, both of whom were teaching assistants, reported to school officials that Fortinberry allegedly sent them sexually explicit messages on Instagram, which were sent on "vanish" mode. The messages reportedly included sexually charged images of Fortinberry and videos of her sex toys and stripper pole.

Police searched her home and located a stripper pole and several sex toys in drawers. Fortinberry told investigators she does not remember sending the messages to her former teen students and they must have been sent unintentionally. She claimed the stripper pole was for workout purposes.

Fortinberry was suspended from her position and later resigned from Eminence High School on August 23 after personnel reported her to the Indiana Department of Child Services and law enforcement. Prosecutors charged Fortinberry in November with two felony counts of dissemination of matter harmful to minors and two misdemeanor counts of harassment using a computer or other electronic network.

In December 2024, a woman came forward to police to report that her minor grandson had been allegedly molested by Fortinberry several times beginning October 2023. This resulted in Fortinberry's February arrest.

Five more alleged victims have come forward since February, including a 14-year-old who claimed Fortinberry bought him and other minor boys dinners, expensive gifts, weed, vapes, and THC cartridges in exchange for sexual favors. The victim also claimed that Fortinberry sent nude photos of herself to him via Snapchat.

Fortinberry allegedly gave the teen and other victims capsules containing shrooms before initiating sex acts, prosecutors wrote. The victim told police that Fortinberry forced him and two of his friends to have sex with her while wearing "Ghostface" masks from the "Scream" movies.

Court documents show that the teen told police his last encounter with Fortinberry was just after his 14th birthday. She allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted him at her home.

Fortinberry now faces a total of 29 charges relating to child molestation, dissemination of harmful material to minors, and contributing to juvenile delinquency. Her jury trial has been scheduled for June 25. If convicted, the former teacher faces 262 years in prison.