Teacher arrested for 'hiding' teen boy in her home for days
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, FLORIDA: A Charlotte High School teacher was arrested for kidnapping a teen who had been missing since August 12. The information detectives received from the missing boy's parents led them to the home of the teacher, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
The investigators were looking for the minor when they got information from the boy's parents that led them to the home of 31-year-old Florida teacher Kelly Simpson in Port Charlotte. On Wednesday, August 17, police discovered the teen inside her house and arrested Simpson. "Investigators successfully recovered the juvenile located inside the home of Simpson," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
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Simpson picked up the boy from an unknown location and hid him inside her home, having known he was reported missing and jeopardized, according to the sheriff's office. Simpson was bonded for $5,000 Wednesday, August 17, and was charged with interference with custody of a minor, jail records show. Simpson has since been placed on administrative leave from her position at Charlotte High School, according to a statement provided to WFTX by the Charlotte County School District.
“Charlotte County Public Schools takes an incident such as this very seriously,” the statement said. “The safety, protection, and well-being of our students are a top priority.” "The teacher arrested was employed at Charlotte High School and has been placed on Administrative Leave. Charlotte County Public Schools can not comment on the arrest as there is an ongoing investigation by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office", it concluded.
Earlier this week, a 32-year-old preschool teacher from Dunedin, Florida, was arrested on Wednesday, August 10, after she repeatedly punched and beat a four-year-old boy in the head. The woman was charged with felony abuse and was fired from Kindercare Learning Center, the preschool. As per the an arrest affidavit at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, a witness reportedly heard screams coming from the direction of the playground. Upon going over, she saw the preschool teacher repeatedly punching the boy with both "an open hand and a closed fist in the back of the head and side of the head."
The witness also alleged that Richards even shoved the child, throwing him on the ground as she continued to assault him. The teacher was later released the same day on a $5,000 bond.