A Florida teacher is accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old student and buying his silence with expensive gifts.
Lauren Angelica King, 32, was arrested March 7 and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior after sending sexual text messages to a student whom she then assaulted.
Before her arrest, the mother of one worked as an educational support worker at the Royal Palm Exceptional Center in Fort Myers, Florida.
According to court documents, King began texting the victim on Jan. 28, giving her his number and asking her to delete conversations between them.
More than 4,000 messages were exchanged in a month, police said. Those texts contained nude photos and a video of King performing a sex act, police said.
Lauren Angelica King, 32, was arrested and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior after sending sexual text messages to a student.
King, the mother of a young son, worked as an educational support worker at the Royal Palm Exceptional Center in Fort Myers, Florida, before her arrest.
She is accused of exchanging thousands of text messages with a 12-year-old student and buying him expensive gifts.
King also allegedly asked the student what he wanted for his birthday and promised to bring him money. She then met him outside of school hours and had sex with him in a car outside an apartment complex, police said.
To keep him from reporting the abuse, King bribed the child by sending him $235 for his birthday, plus food and a sweatshirt, authorities said. She showered him with expensive gifts, including an iPhone, Beats headphones and a computer.
King also tried to make the boy jealous, telling him she was having sex with other students, documents state.
The 12-year-old told his family what happened and they contacted Fort Myers police on March 3.
Authorities say a relative also called King after finding the boy texting him. She told the family “she would be leaving the area” within a week.
The student told investigators that King touched her inappropriately in class, and she allegedly told the student they would both be in trouble if anyone found out.
She also said, “if they ever go through your phone, you will be arrested,” according to court documents.
The 32-year-old was placed on administrative leave when the allegations came to light. On Friday, the Lee County School District said King was no longer employed.
King allegedly met the student outside of school hours and had sex in the back of a car.
The student told investigators that King touched her inappropriately in class and she allegedly told the student they would both be in trouble if anyone found out.
During her court appearance on March 8, a judge suggested there could be other victims, saying the abuse was not an isolated incident.
The 32-year-old was placed on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation and no longer works for the Lee County School District.
Speaking to Fox 4, the victim’s father said he suspected his son “felt like he let us down.”
“But he really doesn’t understand the seriousness of what’s happening here,” the father continued.
“It’s hurtful to send my child to school and these people who are in positions of authority, who I trust to look after my children, are doing it to me.”
In a statement, Lee County Public Schools said it did not “tolerate the alleged behavior” and noted that King was “immediately removed from the school when the allegations were reported pending the outcome of the investigation.” investigation “.
King was arrested at the Enclave Apartments near Central Avenue and taken to the Lee County Jail, where she is being held on $350,000 bond.
During her court appearance on March 8, the judge in the case raised the possibility of other victims coming forward, saying this was not an isolated incident.
Faudlin Pierre, an attorney representing the boy’s family, released a statement denouncing the district for failing to protect its students.
“The Lee County School District has failed systemically. Schools should be sanctuaries where children feel safe, but this neighborhood allowed a child predator to infiltrate our most vulnerable spaces,” the statement said.
“This predator targeted our client, and it was only thanks to her vigilant parents that she was arrested. The school district bears responsibility for allowing such a dangerous person near our children.
“Ms. King’s arrest is a serious indictment of the district, and it must recognize its critical failure to protect our students.”
If the 32-year-old woman walks away, she will have to wear a GPS monitor and will be under house arrest. He is prohibited from contacting anyone under the age of 18 and can only leave his home for court appointments or with a lawyer.
King is scheduled to return to court on April 8.