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REPORT: Florida Teacher Arrested For Alleged ‘Sexual Contact’ With 12-Year-Old Student

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Frances Floresca Contributor
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A Florida elementary school teacher was arrested for alleged “sexual contact” with a child who was 12-years-old at the time, the Miami Herald reported.

Thirty-year-old Davis Augustine Hodge Jr. was arrested Wednesday for allegedly having sex with one of his students, according to the Miami Herald. He is facing four counts of “using his authority” to have sex with the child. Police say the suspect allegedly lured the child into his classroom at West Homestead K-8 Center by using his position as sponsor of the school’s after school chess club on Fridays. The teacher allegedly engaged in “sexual contact” with the victim at least four times, the outlet reported.

The now 13-year-old reportedly said that the relationship was “romantic” and stated that Hodge was her “boyfriend,” the outlet noted. The parents of the child told police that the relationship started in October 2022, CBS Miami reported. (RELATED: Former Teacher Who Ran For Local And State Offices Pleads Guilty To Having Sexual Relations With Underaged Girl)

Hodge had allegedly asked the child “to tell her parents she was staying after school for tutoring,” the Miami Herald reported. Police stated that the relationship allegedly began with the teacher texting and Instagram direct messaging the child about school, then the two reportedly started to exchange explicit photos of each other.

The Miami-Dade County Public Schools released the following statement to a local Fox affiliate.

“Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this individual. As soon as the claims surfaced, the employee was immediately removed from the school setting. After a thorough investigation by the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department, this individual was subsequently arrested. Conduct such as the one he is accused of will not be tolerated. As such, the District has initiated employment termination proceedings and will ensure the individual is precluded from seeking future employment with the District.”

Hodge allegedly confessed to the sex crimes with the student, according to Local 10.

In November 2022, a Nevada teacher was arrested after being accused of sexual assault and kidnapping a student “everyday” since the first day of school. That same month, a teachers’ aid in Oklahoma was arrested for allegedly having sexual relations with a student.