INDEPENDENCE — Tangipahoa Parish deputies arrested an Independence school teacher accused of having sex with a teenager. 

Chad Basso, a 47-year-old 8th-grade teacher at Hammond Westside Montessori School, was arrested Thursday on one count of carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

Deputies were alerted to Basso's alleged crimes over the past week. According to deputies, he met a person online who was actually a 15-year-old from Tangipahoa Parish. The teen was not one of Basso's students and did not attend the school where he worked. 

Basso and the teen eventually met in person and engaged in sexual relations multiple times. 

"This investigation is still ongoing and includes the full cooperation of the Tangipahoa Parish School System," deputies said.

The Tangipahoa Parish School System Superintendent Melissa Stilley said that she "is aware of the arrest of a district employee. The matter is currently under investigation by law enforcement, and we are fully cooperating with authorities."

"We can assure stakeholders that this individual is no longer on our school campus. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority," she said.