A high school English teacher in Montgomery Township is facing criminal charges for allegedly sending nude photos to a student, prosecutors in Somerset County said Tuesday.

Michelina Aichele, 29, of Hillsborough Township, was arrested late last week and subsequently charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Police were contacted by Montgomery Township High School on Thursday regarding an allegedly sexually explicit communication between a teacher and a male student, prosecutors said.

The student, 17, disclosed to investigators he had allegedly received nude photos from Aichele over a period of several months. He also gave details of sexually explicit conversations he allegedly had with Aichele on social media and via email.

Aichele has a Rate My Teachers page with generally favorable reviews from students, some of whom left comments in her defense on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Aichele was placed in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.