Wyatt Cornelius, a former Las Cruces middle school teacher, pleaded guilty to two felonies for soliciting a 14-year-old student through Snapchat.
Cornelius, 43, entered guilty pleas to child solicitation by electronic communication device and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to the Doña Ana County District Attorney's Office. The pleas were entered before District Judge Richard M. Jacquez.
Cornelius was a teacher and coach at Camino Real Middle School. Las Cruces Public Schools hired him on July 1, 2006, and terminated him on May 22, 2026, KVIA reported.
According to the DA's office, Cornelius engaged in inappropriate conversations with the student through Snapchat. He complimented the student's physical appearance, encouraged the victim to sneak out and made sexually explicit comments, the office said.
Each charge carries a sentence of up to 18 months in prison. Cornelius will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed a charge of criminal sexual contact of a minor and two additional charges from a separate case involving a second victim.
District Attorney Fernando Macias said the resolution "secures guilty pleas to two felony offenses, and Cornelius will still face the possibility of prison time."
Chief Deputy District Attorney Spencer Willson, who prosecuted the case, said the plea came after meeting with the victim and her family. "We decided it was best for everyone that the offer include both jail time and sex offender registration," Willson said in the DA's statement.
Cornelius was arrested on April 22 after a teenage student reported an improper relationship, according to KVIA. In July, two additional counts of criminal sexual contact were added after a second teenage victim came forward. That abuse allegedly occurred between September 2025 and February 2026, KVIA reported.
A judge denied bond or release due to the severity of the charges, according to KVIA. Cornelius has been held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center since his arrest.
A sentencing hearing before Jacquez is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5.
