A former Slater teacher has entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of attempted enticement of a minor.

33-year-old Geoffrey Butler of Marshall made his plea during his arraignment hearing Monday, March 10 in a Saline County courtroom. According to a probable cause statement, Butler made contact with an undercover officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl from Iowa as part of an investigation. Investigators accuse Butler of attempting to arrange an illicit encounter with her last fall, and of sending the account photos of himself from a classroom at Slater High School, where he had been a teacher.

Butler remains behind bars on a cash-only bond of $250,000. He and his attorney also filed motions for furlough and a reduced bond; those motions were taken under advisement. A case review is scheduled for April 14.