A former Buckeye teacher is in custody following an investigation into online chats between him and a student. Buckeye police, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested 36-year-old Brendan Barnett on charges of luring and kidnapping.
The investigation began on April 12, 2024, when school district officials reported possible inappropriate chats between Barnett, who was a Verrado Middle School teacher at the time, and a 12-year-old female student. The chats took place within the school’s online communications portal.
Detectives discovered that Barnett had lied to the victim’s parents when inviting her to his central Phoenix home for sleepovers, claiming he was the parent of a Verrado Middle School student who would also be attending. In reality, Barnett did not have a daughter at Verrado Middle School and was alone with the victim at his home on at least three occasions.
A Maricopa County Grand Jury indicted Barnett on one count of luring a minor for sex and three counts of kidnapping. Buckeye police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, located and arrested Barnett on July 10, 2024, at a Phoenix library near 15th Ave and Montebello.
The Buckeye Police Department expresses gratitude for the collaboration with local school officials and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the unified goal of keeping students and staff safe.
