A high school maths teacher was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of raping, harassing, threatening and blackmailing a dozen female students aged 15-18 at a Cagliari high school between 2005 and 2011.
Marcello Melis, 47, is accused of raping a weeping underage student in a classroom while another student stood guard at the door, of attempting to extort sex in exchange for good grades, and sending sexually explicit text messages to students.
Melis, who was suspended from his teaching post last year, also allegedly forced a student to have sex with him by threatening to out her to her parents after she confided in him that she was a lesbian.
Separately, a group of parents in March reported the teacher because he allegedly spent class time talking about sadomasochistic sex involving chains, whips and handcuffs.
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