Tanglewood Middle School teacher Dale Vanwright arrested for explicit video calls with relative's 14-year-old girlfriend: police

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A former HISD middle school teacher was arrested Friday after police say he asked a 14-year-old student to perform sex acts on camera and fondle her in a parked car.

Dale Vanwright, 63, was a design teacher at Tanglewood Middle School when the crimes allegedly occurred.

Court documents indicate the victim was dating one of Vanwright's relatives, who happened to be a fellow student at Tanglewood, at the time. (Eyewitness News is withholding their relationship to protect the victim's identity).

Police say the victim eventually began making video calls with Vanwright after school.

In a February 2024 call, which court documents say appears to have been made from Vanwright's cross-decorated home northeast of Houston, he allegedly asked the victim to expose herself.

Prosecutors say he told the victim that if his loved one couldn't please him, he could help him. He then allegedly made her perform a sex act on camera, telling her he would hang up if his wife entered.

Police said things escalated in May when he began fondling the victim in his car parked outside a store in west Houston, urging her to “let him touch him.”

Investigators say the victim resisted and only got Vanwright arrested by reminding him they still had to pick up his parent from training.

It is unclear how the allegations came to light. The victim was questioned earlier this month and charges were not filed until Thursday.

According to court documents, Vanwright lost his job at Tanglewood in March after he was accused of kissing and hugging another 14-year-old student.

ABC13 reached out to HISD for comment but did not receive one.

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