Newlywed school teacher who engaged in sexual activities with 15-year-old student arrested in Florida
A newlywed teacher has reportedly been arrested in a Florida school after police claimed that she had been engaging in sexual activities with a 15-year-old student. Bradenton police said that the activities of sexual nature between 31-year-old Kassandra Moore and the teen were brought to their notice by Broach School, following which they arrested the teacher.
She failed to provide iron-clad alibis for the investigation, stated the police. Moore, who goes by the name Kassandra Thomas, has been charged with four counts of lewd and lascivious battery and one count of transmission of child pornography, Bradenton Police Department Captain Brian Thiers announced at a press conference.
Police said that they do not know about the evolution of the relationship yet. "It seems like she was a very friendly teacher liked by most of her students, [and] that led to him being a little more friendly with her in a private setting on a message system. How it evolved to the physical side of it, I don’t know that answer." He added, "This is a person that has no business having any involvement with children. This is to me a predatory-type person."
According to a probable cause affidavit, the teen sent screenshots of their conversation on Instagram, in which, she flirts with the boy and sent him selfies that were sexually suggestive in lingerie while some were partially nude. They are said to have met up four times, the cops say. One of the messages reportedly also said, "I wanted to just grab you and kiss you, but I didn't want to make the first move and you reject me."
The boy's allegations are backed by DNA evidence from a used condom found at a local park, the police said along with video footage. On their fourth meeting, Moore met the boy at Inspiration Academy, which is next to Palma Sola Park. Police said that they had sex in the car after spending some time together.
They reportedly had sex four times between March 23 and March 29, police said. She was taken to Manatee County jail and is being held on bond. Moore also reportedly tried to cover her tracks, asking a colleague to lie to the police about her alibi. She also reached out to an older student to understand if she could delete messages from a person's phone remotely. Both the teacher and student are cooperating with police.
Children's Educational Services, that operates Broach School, reportedly said in a statement, "We have placed Ms. Thomas on an administrative leave of absence while we investigate accusations that were brought forth that are in clear violation of our code of conduct. As you know, student safety, school integrity, and family-like culture are embedded in the very core of who we are as a school and an educational company."
It continues, "We greatly appreciate your cooperation and support as we ensure the truth comes to light and proper steps are taken to address the situation."