James Scott Beck is a 60-year-old Maryland teacher who worked at Kent County Middle School. Beck was arrested in May 2026 after Chestertown police accused him of inappropriately touching a 12-year-old female student during an after-school athletic program while he was serving as a soccer club coach. He was charged with multiple sex offenses and second-degree assault.
James Scott Beck Arrest And Allegations
Beck Accused Of Inappropriately Touching 12-Year-Old Student. Police allege Beck touched the breasts of a 12-year-old female student at Kent County Middle School on April 23, 2026. The alleged incident occurred in the school gymnasium during an after-school athletic program. [The Evening Enterprise]
Beck Was Acting As Soccer Club Coach During Alleged Incident. Beck was employed as a teacher at Kent County Middle School and was serving as a soccer club coach when the alleged touching occurred, according to the charging documents. [The Evening Enterprise]
Police Investigation Began After Complaint Was Filed April 23. Chestertown police received the complaint on the same day as the alleged incident and opened an investigation. Investigators subsequently obtained an arrest warrant for Beck. [WCTR]
James Scott Beck Charges
Beck Charged With Third-Degree And Fourth-Degree Sex Offenses. Chestertown police served Beck with an arrest warrant on May 14. He was charged with one count of third-degree sex offense, two counts of fourth-degree sex offense and one count of second-degree assault. The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court. [The Evening Enterprise]
Beck Initially Held Without Bond Before Being Released On Electronic Monitoring. Following his arrest, Beck was initially held at the Kent County Detention Center without bond. After a May 15 bail review, he was released on a $10,000 unsecured personal bond and placed on electronic monitoring. [The Evening Enterprise]
James Scott Beck School Suspension
Kent County Public Schools Placed Beck On Administrative Leave. A school district spokesperson said Beck was placed on administrative leave and kept off school grounds after the alleged incident was reported in April. [The Evening Enterprise]
School District Says Police Investigation Began After It Received Complaint. Kent County Public Schools told families that Beck’s arrest resulted from a law-enforcement investigation initiated after the district received the complaint. The district said it takes concerns involving students seriously and directed questions about the criminal case to police and prosecutors. [The Evening Enterprise]
James Scott Beck Investigation
Police Asked Anyone With Additional Information To Come Forward. Chestertown police said following Beck’s arrest that the investigation remained active and asked anyone with information relevant to the case to contact the department. [The Evening Enterprise]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.