A former Phoenix high school teacher and baseball coach was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of probation, in Maricopa County Superior Court. Eric Curtis Chapman, 44, received the sentence after entering a plea agreement stemming from sex crimes involving underage students and child sex abuse material found on his devices.
Court documents indicated that Chapman will receive credit for more than a year and a half. The crimes occurred between 2020 and the first week of April 2025, involving current and former Cortez High School students in the classroom, the locker room, and Chapman’s car.
Chapman Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation Charges
Chapman was arrested on April 16, 2025, prompting the Glendale Union High School District to inform parents that one of its teachers had been relieved of all duties. A month after his arrest, he was indicted on 20 counts of sexual conduct and exploitation of minors.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Chapman pleaded guilty to two counts of attempt to commit sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of attempt to commit sexual conduct with a minor. Court records filed around the time of his arrest stated that Chapman admitted to downloading and preserving hundreds of photos and videos depicting minors being sexually exploited, which he reportedly kept mainly on his home computer after obtaining them from the dark web.
Unresolved Details
While court documents and the plea agreement outline Chapman’s conviction and sentencing, the sources do not specify whether additional individuals are under investigation or if further legal actions are anticipated related to the Glendale Union High School District.
