ORIGINAL STORY 1/2/13 @ 7:30 p.m.
JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A substitute teacher in Jackson County, W.Va. is facing serious charges. He's accused of soliciting a 15-year-old girl.

This is surprising news for his hometown, where he was a well-known athlete.

About five years ago, Dustin "Dusty" Mullins was a star basketball player at Ravenswood High School.

Sports fanatic Shirley Eequasie owns a little shop downtown. The name "Dusty Mullins" is one she knows well.

“He was really sports minded,” Eequasie said.

That was five or more years ago. Now he's 22 and just starting a career as a substitute teacher in Jackson County.

However, instead of writing lesson plans -- he's signing court papers.
Mullins was arrested Wednesday night. The word spread quickly through town.

“I've had a lot of phones calls. A lot of people asked me if I heard that this morning before I came in,” Eequasie said.

He had just finished his student teaching at Parkersburg South High School in Wood County. That's where a 15-year-old girl claims he repeatedly sent her inappropriate messages on facebook -- even asking her to send him nude pictures.

"I just couldn't believe it was him,” Eequasie said.

“It's awful that any kid has to put up with somebody that's older than them doing something like that. It doesn’t make sense,” James Robinson from Ravenswood said.

Now, the man once unstoppable on the basketball court -- must now answer in the court of law.

Mullins has confessed to police to sending the facebook messages.

As for Mullins’ employment status: Jackson County's superintendent says he's not allowed to work in the schools during the investigation.

Mullins is facing several charges including solicitation of a minor.

Dustin Mullins, 22, of Ravenswood, W.Va., works as a substitute teacher at Henry J Kaiser Elementary School. He is accused of soliciting the girl through private Facebook messages.

Police say Mullins contacted the Parkersburg girl via Facebook -- making sexual comments, even asking for a nude photo, according to the criminal complaint.

"She brought her mother into it, who in turn contacted the authorities in Wood County, who in turn contacted us," Jackson County Sheriff Tony Boggs said.

According to police, Mullins met the girl while working as a student teacher in Wood County. He started working as a substitute at Henry J. Kaiser Elementary School on Monday.

"It was caught significantly early and brought to a quick conclusion," Boggs said. "So I think the system worked as it was supposed to in this case."

The investigation is ongoing. Police say there may be several other students involved. There's no word yet on Mullins' employment status with the Jackson County School District.