More than 25 school employees were arrested for sexual misconduct with students over the past week alone — including a teacher who bombarded a boy with 600 text messages and another who performed oral sex in a classroom.
In what has become a surging nationwide epidemic, teachers, counselors, and other staffers — both men and an increasing number of women — are targeting students for sexual gratification.
Indiana high school teacher Paige Simon, 28, was arrested last week for allegedly touching a male student’s groin in front of classmates and sending him 600 text messages — including some that contained explicit language and discussion of sex toys.
When the 15-year-old stopped corresponding with her, authorities said Simon showed up to one of his baseball games to continue her pursuit.
The victim’s parents discovered the trove of messages between the two and contacted authorities.
The South Decatur High School educator is now facing several charges, including stalking and official misconduct.
California teacher Rebekah Blackwell-Taylor was arrested at Orange Vista High School in Riverside County this week for allegedly performing a sex act on a student inside a classroom.
She was booked into jail on charges of “annoying and molesting a child under the age of 18 and additional felony charges,” authorities said.
In New Jersey, 27-year-old teacher’s aide and marching band director Michelle Jacoby was taken into custody for allegedly sleeping with a student for several years beginning when he was a freshman.
The boy’s age and further details were not made available.
The victim reportedly told another teacher at Riverside High School in Burlington County about the relationship and they contacted police.
Michele Little, 29, a teacher at Sarasota Military High School in Florida, was nabbed last week after hanging a sign on her door that a test was in session so she could be alone with a student.
The pair allegedly kissed in the classroom for 15 minutes, officials said. Rumors about the incident soon began to fly and Little was eventually taken into custody following a police investigation.
She was charged with felony indecent, lewd or lascivious touching of certain minors and released on bond over the weekend.
Also in Florida, cops busted a Tampa middle school teacher’s assistant Thursday for possession and distribution of child pornography.
After receiving a tip, police searched the home of Ricky Broadnax, 55, a staffer at Liberty Middle School.
Investigators discovered a safe with images of child pornography on data storage devices and placed him under arrest.
Officials said they haven’t found evidence that any of his students were victims but noted their probe is ongoing.
Jacob De La Paz, a former Louisiana math teacher and coach at St. Thomas Moore in Lafayette, was picked up by federal agents last week for sending an explicit SnapChat video to a minor student.
De La Paz was probed after the clip was leaked online and is now facing felony charges.
Other school staffers arrested for sexual misconduct include a 23-year-old male Atlanta middle school teacher accused of abusing a 14-year-old girl on campus and a male Missouri substitute teacher who sent pornography to several minor students.
