OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
9:10 AM – Sunday, December 3, 2023
A Florida high school substitute teacher has been detained for sex offenses against two female students.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, a Florida high school substitute teacher was arrested on Thursday morning after two of his female students accused him of sex offenses.
Jerron Dunn, 33, was working at New Beginnings High School in Lakeland, Florida, as a substitute English teacher when he reportedly “sent teenagers videos of himself masturbating, via Snapchat,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The victims, which included two female teenagers, reported the offense to their guidance counselor at the school, who then notified the police.
According to officials, one of the victims, who is 17-years-old, informed the police that Dunn used the chance to access her phone and add himself on Snapchat when she asked to use Dunn’s phone charger in class.
“He then began sending her messages asking her to come visit him at his house. She declined but he continued sending messages, and then sent her a video of himself masturbating,” the sheriff’s office stated.
The second victim, who is 18-years-old, told officials that she approved of a Snapchat friend request from the substitute teacher, after which he started to “message her and tell her that she was pretty and that he wanted to start a relationship with her.”
“The victim told Dunn that he was too old for her and that it would be ‘weird’ because he is her teacher,” officials said.
However, Dunn reportedly still sent the student Snapchat messages, with some messages including “several videos of himself masturbating.”
Additionally, investigators mentioned that Dunn told the student that he was interested in being “friends with benefits” and requested that she visit his home to have sex.
According to reports, Dunn acknowledged using Snapchat to interact with the 17-year-old and asked the 18-year-old to be his girlfriend while being questioned by police, as well as sending her graphic videos.
Dunn has previously been convicted by a student with a “sex crime on a student by an authority figure” and “transmission of harmful material to a minor.”
However, authorities stated that “further charges are pending” after conducting a forensic analysis of his cellphone.
Dunn is currently being held on a $30,000 bond and is in custody at the Polk County Jail.
“This suspect used his position of authority over students to groom them and attempt to have sex with them; our hope is that there are no other victims,” Sheriff Grady Judd announced. “We encourage anyone who has been victimized by Jerron Dunn to please contact law enforcement.”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts