This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Two teen girls in Louisiana have been charged with a felony for trying to "frame a male high school teacher for sending inappropriate messages to a student."

Details about the case have been released by Craig Webre, the sheriff for Lafourche Parish.

On Jan. 6, 2025, each girl was charged with one count of false swearing for the purpose of violating public health or safety, a felony, cyberstalking, and online impersonation, the law enforcement report said.

They were placed on electronic monitoring and released to the custody of their parents.

Webre said, "Our juvenile detectives are diligent and take claims of inappropriate behavior very seriously. They are, however, equally serious about false claims. Someone's life can be instantly ruined by a false allegation, and I am proud that our investigators were able to get to the bottom of this.

"Technology has made it very easy for people to try to manipulate the truth, but technology also makes it easy for investigators to ultimately find the truth," he said.

Local school Supt. Jarod Martin said, "We are shocked and appalled to learn of the actions of two of our students. The allegations against one of our teachers were false and malicious, and we appreciate the efficiency of investigators in uncovering the source of these messages.

"Such attacks on a teacher's credibility and reputation are concerning and can inhibit their ability to effectively educate our children. We are committed to investigating all allegations of misconduct in order to provide a safe environment conducive to learning and working for all of our students and staff."

The investigation into the case was opened only a week before Christmas when there was a report from "a concerned party" that a teacher was "sending inappropriate messages to a 16-year-old female student."

The sheriff explained, "Detectives learned she and a 15-year-old friend were allegedly engaged in conversations involving inappropriate messages from the teacher via an online instant messaging platform."

The investigation included interviews with those involved, search warrants being issued for the contents of phones and various messaging accounts, and more.

"The investigation revealed that the two teenage girls had fabricated messages, created fake accounts, and shared screenshots with friends in an effort to frame the teacher for sending inappropriate messages," the sheriff's office said.