Teacher Fired After Video Emerges Allegedly Showing Her Sexually Abusing Dog

A former Virginia middle school teacher has been charged with sexually abusing her dog and lost her job — and now she might lose her right to ever own animals again. 

Chanelle Renee Lincoln, 43, appeared for a preliminary hearing an charges of sexually abusing an animal at Henrico County General District Court on May 20, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE.

Lincoln’s principal at Pocahontas Middle School in Short Pump allegedly received a “suspicious video” of her employee on October 2, 2024, according to court documents cited by WRIC and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

A Henrico County Police Department detective spoke to staff and reviewed the video himself, per the documents, and determined that Lincoln could be seen “engaging in sexual acts with a small dog.”

The English teacher resigned soon afterward on October 28, 2024, according to the outlets; she had taught at the school since 2019.

In subsequent interviews with police, Lincoln conceded that she and her 3-year-old Yorkshire terrier Milo appeared to be in the video, per the documents. 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

However, she allegedly claimed that “although it looks like she has produced this media, she has never engaged in sexual acts of this nature with an animal,” per the documents.

The teacher allegedly told police that she had been “having an issue” with another woman who had allegedly threatened to send sexually explicit videos of Lincoln to her boss. She said that she knew the unnamed woman had sexually explicit videos of her because that woman had sent them to her before, according to the documents cited by the outlets. 

Based on the detective’s “experience and training,” per the documents, there is no indication that the videos had been manipulated with editing software.

Lincoln was released on her own recognizance, but a judge on Tuesday prohibited her from any contact with animals while her case is ongoing. She is due back in court on July 14, according to online court documents.

If convicted, Lincoln will be disallowed from owning animals and fined a minimum of $50,000, per Virginia law.

Pocahontas Middle School did not respond to requests for comment at press time.