MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A teacher at IMG Academy is facing multiple sex crime charges after she allegedly had a sexual relationship with an underage student, according to the the Manatee County Sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said that on Aug. 25, 2021, IMG Academy staff told them about a potential sexual relationship between Taylor J. Anderson, 38, and an underage student after overhearing rumours about the situation.
The academy’s administration confronted the student about the rumors, and the student admitted to having sex with Anderson, a MCSO release states. The academy banned Anderson from campus and fired her shortly afterward.
The sheriff’s office said Anderson invoked her right to legal counsel, refusing to speak to detectives. A search of her home, vehicle, and cell phone found evidence that affirmed the student’s statements and evidence from the minor’s phone, investigators said.
Deputies said that during their investigation, it was discovered that Anderson was in communication with the student through social media and text messages for several weeks.
Investigators said they also learned that in July, Anderson picked up the student from an apartment to go to the beach. While there, Anderson allegedly had sex with the student in her vehicle, according to the release.
Authorities put out arrest warrants for sexual battery by custodial authority, travelling to meet a minor, and transmission of harmful material to a minor, but when then deputies went to Anderson’s home to serve the warrants, they said she was not there.
The sheriff’s office said they contacted her attorney about the charges, and after evading deputies for several days and even traveling out of the state, Anderson turned herself in Monday night at the Manatee County Jail.
