Wyatt Cornelius
Introduction
Wyatt Cornelius, a 43-year-old former Las Cruces middle school teacher and coach, pleaded guilty on October 19, 2026, to two felony counts — child solicitation by electronic communication device and contributing to the delinquency of a minor — in a case built on months of inappropriate Snapchat exchanges with a 14-year-old student. The plea came three days before his jury trial was set to begin, and resolves a prosecution that had grown to include allegations from a second teenage victim.
Background Information
Cornelius worked at Camino Real Middle School in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Las Cruces Public Schools employed him from July 1, 2006, until his termination on May 22, 2026, according to KVIA. He taught and coached at the school. He was arrested on April 22, 2026, after a teenage student reported an improper relationship, and a judge denied bond or release due to the severity of the charges; he has been held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center since his arrest.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Investigators say Cornelius exchanged inappropriate Snapchat messages with a 14-year-old student for months, complimenting the student’s physical appearance, encouraging her to sneak out — at one point suggesting 3 a.m. — and making sexually explicit comments, including references to his genitalia, according to court documents cited by KFOX14/CBS4. The indictment also accused him of touching the student’s backside and legs during class and at sporting events, and of touching her chest and buttocks at some point between September 2025 and February 2026. Court documents state Cornelius “was able to exercise undue influence” over the victim and “used this position of authority to coerce,” though the indictment did not explicitly name her as his student.
In July 2026, two additional counts of criminal sexual contact were added after a second teenage victim came forward, KVIA reported. The plea agreement dismissed the original third-degree criminal sexual contact charge along with the charges arising from the second case.
Public Reaction and Consequences
District Attorney Fernando Macias said in a statement carried by KFOX14: “The State carefully considered the circumstances of these cases, the charges supported by the evidence and the wishes of the victim in reaching this resolution. This resolution secures guilty pleas to two felony offenses, and Cornelius will still face the possibility of prison time.” The school district had already cut him loose two months before his sentencing, and the plea removes the trial that had been scheduled for November.
Current Status
Cornelius pleaded guilty before District Judge Richard M. Jacquez to two fourth-degree felonies. Each count carries a possible sentence of up to 18 months, which KFOX14 summarized as up to three years in prison. He will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Sentencing is scheduled for November 5, 2026, before Judge Jacquez. He has been in custody since April and made no public statement reported in the coverage.
Impact on Their Career/Life
A two-decade career in the Las Cruces schools ended in termination, and a guilty plea to child solicitation forecloses any return to teaching or coaching anywhere in the country, regardless of the sentence Judge Jacquez imposes. The 10-year sex-offender registration follows him past the prison term. For the district, the case renews the question of how a teacher described in court documents as exploiting his position of authority operated for months before a student came forward.
Sources
- KVIA ABC-7, “Former Las Cruces teacher pleads guilty to child solicitation,” October 19, 2026 — source
- KFOX14/CBS4, “Former Las Cruces teacher pleads guilty to felonies over inappropriate texts with student,” October 2026 — source
- 96.3 KKOB, “Former Las Cruces teacher and coach pleads guilty to child solicitation charges involving students,” October 21, 2026 — source