Ty Maki (Outagamie Co. Jail)
KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Kaukauna middle school teacher Ty Maki allegedly had sexually-explicit text exchanges with a person identified as a 15-year-old girl, but he told police he didn’t believe the person was underage.
Maki was charged Tuesday with one misdemeanor count of attempting to expose a child to harmful descriptions.
A $10,000 cash bond was set. He returns to court Sept. 10 for a balance of initial appearance.
According to the criminal complaint, Maki exchanged messages on Kik with a person identified as a 15-year-old girl, but was actually an undercover Wausau police officer. Hundreds of lines of text from multiple days are quoted in the criminal complaint.
There are no allegations Maki had any physical contact with anyone, including students in the Kaukauna school district.
“Det. Meyer asked Ty if while chatting with Kat he ever felt like he shouldn’t be doing this and he said, “Yeah and that I didn’t believe that’s who that was.” Det. Meyer asked him what made him feel like he shouldn’t be doing it and he said, “Just in nature like around most of the conversations.” He went on to add, “Married, kids…” He again told officers he did not believe the person he was chatting with was underage,” the complaint states.
The Kaukauna Area School District released the following statement on the arrest:
On Monday, August 10, 2026, the Kaukauna Area School District was made aware that Ty Maki, a teacher at River View Middle School, was arrested and referred for charges involving illicit communications with someone he believed was a juvenile. The district immediately placed Mr. Maki on administrative leave and will continue to cooperate with the Kaukauna Police Department as they investigate the matter.
At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that any children in the Kaukauna Area School District or surrounding area were harmed or exposed to harmful materials. Since this is an ongoing criminal investigation, the district is unable to provide further information or comment at this time.
The Kaukauna Area School District is committed to providing all students with a safe and supportive learning environment, and that will remain our top priority.
If you have relevant information about this investigation, please contact the Kaukauna Police Department at (920) 766-6333.
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