Florida

Assistant Teacher in Miramar Accused of Lewd Acts with Special Needs Student

An assistant teacher at a Miramar school for special-needs students is facing sex crimes charges after he allegedly admitted to sending a sexually explicit photo and video of himself to a 16-year-old girl.

The student apparently told police that over a three-month period the 24-year-old  had “inappropriate conversations” with her online and would sometimes take her out of class, and smack her butt, according to reports.

The man had worked at the school one month before the alleged activities began. He resigned Dec. 2.

According to police, the assistant teacher admitted to sending the 11th-grader a photo of his genitals and a video of him masturbating after he was advised of his Miranda rights.

The man is accused of touching the student “in a lewd manner” under her clothes several times, touched her legs and once intentionally touched her breast over her clothes while returning a class paper, according to reports.

The man has been free on $2,000 bond since the day after his Dec. 2 arrest at the school. He is scheduled to next be in court Jan. 28 for arraignment on an upgraded charge and to revisit his bond amount.

He has pleaded not guilty to a third-degree felony count of electronically transmitting harmful material to a minor, and two misdemeanors counts of battery and committing an unnatural and lascivious act.

On Jan. 6, Broward prosecutors upgraded the misdemeanor lascivious charge to a second count of transmitting harmful materials, reports show.

If convicted the man is convicted he faces a maximum of nearly 11 years behind bars.

Your entire life can be destroyed if you are convicted of lewd acts with a child in the state of Florida. Regardless of your innocence, the simple accusation of molesting or touching a child will have a negative effect on all aspects of your life, including where you live, educational and employment opportunities, as well as your personal relationships.

While these charges are very serious, you should know that you do not need to go through this challenging time on your own. If you are charged with a sex crime involving a minor, your future and freedom depends upon selecting a lawyer that will aggressively represent you. A Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can make sure you have the effective representation you need. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation at 866-608-5529 or contact us online.

Tue Jan 20, 8:33am