POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said a teacher was arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal conduct with a minor. It’s the second teacher to be arrested for an inappropriate relationships with a minor in less than a week.
On Wednesday, authorities arrested 21-year-old Rameir Jones, who taught 5th through 8th grade at Preparing the Way Academy, a private school in Lakeland.
The victim, a 15-year-old Lakeland girl, did not attend his school, deputies said. On Dec. 4, the girl cut off her probationary ankle monitor and left her home.
Related video: Jerron Dunn was arrested on Nov. 30 for illegal conduct with two female students.
Detectives initially searched the home and didn’t find anyone. It was later discovered Jones hid her in his car and instructed her to shut off her phone so she couldn’t be tracked.
A second search of the home led detectives to find the girl inside Jones’ home, in his bed. Jones was immediately arrested.
The teen told detectives she and Jones flirted and sent explicit and lewd text messages to each other. Both phones were seized for further investigation.
“Two teachers preying on students is two too many. I don’t know what either of these suspects were thinking, but rest assured, if you groom, solicit, inappropriately talk to, or touch any student here in Polk County, we will lock you up and do our best to make sure you won’t have access to children again,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.
A representative at Preparing the Way Academy declined to comment Thursday.
Jones was charged with a sex offense on a student by an authority figure, traveling to meet a minor to engage in illegal activity, interfering with child custody, aiding an unmarried minor, contributing to the delinquency of a monitor, giving false information to law enforcement, accessory after the fact, and unlawful use of a communication device, among other charges.
The 15-year-old was taken back into custody for violation of probation.
On Nov. 30, deputies arrested Jerron Dunn, a New Beginnings High School substitute teacher, who is accused of sending explicit messages and videos of himself to two female students.
He was arrested again after, Sheriff Judd said, more people came forward.
“He was re-arrested for having sex with a 20-year old who was his student. That’s against the law,” said Sheriff Judd.
Sharanta Harrington, the principal at New Beginnings High School, said the school is cooperating with law enforcement.
“The safety and well being of our students is always our primary concern. New Beginnings High School can state that Mr. Dunn will not be returning to our campus. He was working under a contract with a professional staffing company, and was not an employee of New Beginnings,” she wrote in a statement.
