Jenifer Stizel

TANGENT, Ore. -- The Linn County Sheriff arrested a 34-year-old preschool teacher Tuesday on suspicion of kissing and touching a 14-year-old boy.

Jenifer Stitzel of Albany, Ore., faces two counts of third-degree misdemeanor sex abuse. Sheriff's detectives believe Stizel, who teaches preschool at Central Valley Adventist Academy near Tangent, kissed the boy and had other inappropriate contact both on and off school grounds. The boy is an 8th grade student at the school.

The investigation started with a complaint regarding cell phone text messages containing sexual content being sent from an Albany woman to a 14-year-old boy, the sheriff's office said. The text messages were discovered by the boy's parents and reported on Nov. 29.

After booking at the Linn County Jail, Stizel was released and scheduled to appear Dec. 23 in Linn County Circuit Court.