CHESTER COUNTY, Tenn. — A Henderson pastor and teaching assistant is charged with raping a woman after tying her up at his home, according to court documents.

Mike Ulmer is charged with two counts of rape and one count of sexual battery, according to an affidavit. He appeared Tuesday in court and entered a not guilty plea.

Ulmer is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Henderson, according to his attorney, Mark Donahoe.

Director of Schools Troy Kilzer previously confirmed Ulmer was suspended without pay Feb. 17 and arrested a short time later off campus for charges involving a student.

According to Kilzer, Ulmer is a teaching assistant who most recently worked with the in-school suspension program.

“It was a shock to us as well, a shock to many others who have heard,” Kilzer said. “When we did find out that this is information that we trust as a reliable source, we did not hesitate to act upon it.”

The alleged victim is an 18-year-old woman. She told police Ulmer is her preacher and gave her a ride Feb. 16 from Chester County High School to his Glendale Road home.

She told police she sometimes goes to Ulmer’s house and cleans.

The woman told officers Ulmer told her to go into his office in a detached garage where he tied her hands together with rope and then ran the rope through a hook in the ceiling. She said he then pulled her pants down and sexually assaulted her, according to court documents.

The woman told police she did not consent.

“We treat every case as serious, but certainly this is a serious allegation,” Donahoe said. “We maintain at this point that he did nothing wrong.”

Ulmer is free on a $250,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 9.

The judge ordered Tuesday that Ulmer must not contact the alleged victim or her family.

The superintendent says no alleged crime involving Ulmer happened on campus. Kilzer says the district hasn’t had any complaints regarding Ulmer’s conduct in the past.