Former Arlington County substitute teacher sentenced to 5 years for sex crime against minor

ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. – A former Arlington County substitute teacher was sentenced to five years in prison for a sex offense against a minor, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

What we know:

As part of his sentence, Timothy McGhee will have to register as a sex offender, complete treatment and submit to electronic monitoring after his release. He was also ordered to serve three years of probation.

McGhee was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor after a three-day trial during which a jury heard evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a student that began when she was a minor.

A 2025 trial ended in a mistrial as jurors were not able to reach a unanimous verdict, court officials said.

The backstory:

The Arlington County Police Department began investigating McGhee after allegations that he engaged in a relationship with a student when she was 16 years old.

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In 2022, McGhee served as the student’s long-term substitute teacher at Washington & Liberty High School. According to court evidence, McGhee later became the student’s private math tutor.

The relationship continued for about two years, during which time the two kept in frequent contact with each other outside of school, according to court evidence.

“The trust placed in teachers and school employees is profound,” said Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti. “When an adult entrusted with the care and education of a young person exploits that position of authority, it causes lasting harm and undermines the safety students deserve.”

During the investigation, police said McGhee had an extensive history of interacting with minors, noting he previously volunteered with youth groups at a local church and served as a substitute teacher in a neighboring jurisdiction.