Former Buckeye teacher arrested on charges of luring, kidnapping 12-year-old girl

A former middle school teacher in Buckeye was arrested on suspicion of luring and kidnapping a 12-year-old girl.

Brendan Barnett, 36, is in custody following an investigation into online chats between him and a student, Buckeye police said.

Authorities say they were alerted by school district officials back in April of "possible inappropriate chats" between Barnett, who was a Verrado Middle School teacher at the time, and a 12-year-old female student. The chats occurred within the school’s online communications portal, according to police.

Detectives revealed in their investigation that Barnett had been inviting the victim to his central Phoenix home for sleepovers, police said.

Additionally, investigators discovered that Barnett had lied to the victim's parents when inviting her to his home for sleepovers, police said. Barnett had claimed he was the parent of a student at the school who would also be attending the sleepovers, officials said.

Investigations revealed that Barnett did not have a child and was alone with the victim at his home on at least three different occasions, police said.

Buckeye police and U.S. Marshals Service managed to locate and arrest Barnett on Wednesday at a Phoenix library near 15th Avenue and Montebello Avenue.

Barnett faces one count of luring a minor for sex and three counts of kidnapping.