YORKTOWN — A former pastor and former Yorktown Community Schools nurse was arrested Thursday on 29 child sex related crimes.

Brian Couch, 55, of Yorktown, was arrested on the suspicion of 20 counts of child molesting, a Level 4 felony, eight counts of child molesting, a Level 1 felony, and one count of rape, a Level 3 felony, according to court documents.

Couch was a school nurse for Yorktown Community Schools, superintendent Dr. Greg Hinshaw said in an email. He is longer employed by the district.

The following message was sent to parents on Friday, Hinshaw said:

Yorktown Community Schools was informed very late last night that a member of our nursing staff had been arrested on serious charges. This individual is now no longer employed by Yorktown Community Schools and has been barred from school property. At present there is no evidence of any wrong-doing at school.



Student safety and well-being are the foremost concern of the district, and I have met with our principals and nursing staff to ensure that students and families feel safe in sharing any concerns that they might have arising from this situation.



Yorktown Community Schools is fully cooperating with law enforcement in this matter. If you have concerns regarding this matter, please feel free to reach out to me, your building principal, or law enforcement.

Couch was a former pastor at the Yorktown Church of the Nazarene, until he resigned in May 2019, Pastor Marty Ballard said.

The following statement was released by Ballard:

The Yorktown Church of the Nazarene is crushed by the recent situation regarding one of our former ministers and church member. We pray for healing. We will cooperate with all legal authorities and continue to pray for our schools, our children, our community and our churches.



We condemn all inappropriate behavior or action that does not condone to legal authorities and the laws which God has given.

The alleged crimes were not directly related to his work at the school, according to court documents.