TikTok Star Luke Rockwell Was Arrested for Allegedly Having Sex With a Minor
Published Sept. 5 2023, 10:33 a.m. ET
Under a photo of himself wearing a mask that was posted on Facebook, Luke Rockwell wrote, "Even paradise is a prison when you can't leave." This was uploaded on Aug. 29, 2021, and was geotagged in Bangkok, Thailand.
Two years later in September 2023, the man known as Teacher Luke on TikTok was arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor in that very same city. The caption now feels like a prophecy. What happened to Teacher Luke? Here's what we know.
What happened to the man known as Teacher Luke on TikTok?
According to the Bangkok Post, Rockwell was "arrested in Bangkok yesterday [Sept. 3, 2023] and charged with having sex with a minor and recording the acts." He accepted the charges and was taken to the Khlong Tan police station. The arrest came after the mother of a 16-year-old girl filed a complaint with police which said Rockwell and the victim.
Per the complaint, the mother stated that her daughter had been messaging with Rockwell before the relationship escalated to a physical one, reports the New York Post. The victim's mother contacted the Department of Welfare for Children and Women who along with Khlong Tan, took Rockwell into custody.
Per The Daily Mail, Rockwell taught English at a private Christian school where the victim was a student. Her mother grew concerned when the victim "fell ill with abdominal pains caused by chlamydia and gonorrhea," which led to an emergency trip to the hospital. It was there she discovered what Rockwell had allegedly done and immediately contacted authorities.
The victim's mother wants the world to know who Teacher Luke really is.
As of the time of this writing, Rockwell's TikTok has been deleted but the English teacher previously boasted over 2 million followers. His videos ran the gamut from explaining definitions and origins of words, to actual racist rhetoric. It's difficult to believe this man was actually a teacher but it's no secret predators (or in his case alleged predators) gravitate towards positions of power that give them access to children.
While speaking to the Daily Mail, the victim's mother explained, "My daughter had been messaging Teacher Luke for months using my phone. She deleted the messages after they chatted." She then added they would meet in secret in order to have sex. It wasn't until her daughter became extremely ill, that the truth came out. "My daughter said the first time they had sex, Teacher Luke used protection but after he did not use any. She trusted him."
Teacher Luke reportedly told the victim she had to keep their relationship a secret until she turned 18. He was 29-years-old and was telling the victim he "loved her and would let her come live with him when she's no longer a minor," revealed the mother. After sharing the results of the STD test with Rockwell, the victim was assured he would take care of all the medical bills.
The victim's mother explained that her daughter is a "‘vulnerable and troubled' teenager who had been adopted when she was three and had ‘hardly any friends.'" She truly believed Rockwell loved her. "I want every woman and child to know how evil Teacher Luke is," said the mother to the Daily Mail. "It's embarrassing for me to tell people about what's happening to my family but I hope it prevents Teacher Luke from ever taking advantage of any girl in the future."
