OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – An Oakland County man, and a former Metro Detroit substitute teacher, accused of paying young students for nude photos and videos is heading to trial.
Timothy Patrick Higle is accused if asking minors for explicit photos and videos.
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The known victims -- who were ages 14 to 17 years old at the time of the incidents-- were then paid for the explicit materials. One victim reportedly received a vape pen with marijuana. Others were paid in amounts between $10 and $75.
In one case, he allegedly paid the boyfriend of a 16-year-old victim.
Police said they found other victims through Higle’s CashApp and Apple iCloud accounts.
It’s alleged that the young girls sent the explicit material to Higle through Snapchat. He allegedly sent naked photos of himself to several of the victims, including a 14-year-old girl.
One victim allegedly was paid for naked images when she was in Seventh Grade.
The investigation began in August 2024, when one of the victims contacted Michigan State Police (MSP). In December, MSP notified the FBI about the investigation.
Higle was charged with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography.
He was indicted on March 20. A date for the trial has not yet been sent.
Officials with the East China School District in St. Clair County released the following statement:
The East China School District partners with families and students to ensure that every child will successfully achieve a world-class education in a safe and orderly environment. To that end, all staff, including substitutes, undergo a rigorous background check that involves inquiries to databases maintained by the Michigan State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The School District also makes inquiries to individuals’ past employers in order to ascertain if there has been any previous unprofessional conduct. We disqualify any individual with past conduct that we deem as placing children at risk from working with our School District.
In January of this year, the School District received a subpoena for personnel records for an individual who served as a long-term substitute secondary choir teacher for the School District from December of 2017 through the end of the 2018-19 school year. The law enforcement agency involved did not provide any background to the subpoena, nor did it disclose the reason for the subpoena. We have no information to believe that the actions alleged about this individual involve the East China School District. We will fully cooperate should law enforcement reach out. We understand the concern that this information may cause, and therefore are taking this opportunity to reassure our community of our unwavering commitment to student safety.
Superintendent Suzanne M. Cybulla
