Florida educator groomed 12-year-old for sex, said she would leave area after family confronted her: police
A Florida paraprofessional has been accused of having sex with a 12-year-old student, buying his silence with electronics and treats, then telling his family she would "quit and leave the area" after she was caught.
Royal Palm Exceptional Center Instruction Support employee Lauren King, 32, was charged with two counts of lewd or lascivious battery and was arrested on March 7, the Fort Myers Police Department wrote in a press release.
King reportedly saved the student's number to send him a photo she had taken of him and his classroom friend, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Their interactions quickly escalated to sexual encounters, including in King's car and in the classroom, records show.
From Jan. 28 onward, King exchanged over 4,000 text messages with the victim, according to court documents, and repeatedly reminded him to delete their correspondence.
In one text message, she told the student he would get into "sooooo much trouble." In another, she told him that "if they ever go through your phone, you're getting arrested."
Those messages included nude selfies and videos of sex acts performed on herself, police wrote in their affidavit.
At one point, police wrote, King asked the student what he wanted for his birthday and said she would bring him money. After they had sex on one occasion, police wrote, she repeatedly told the child not to tell anyone about the encounter, sending him $235 and buying him an iPhone, Beats headphones and a Dell computer.
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King repeatedly told the boy she loved him via text messages contained in court documents; conversely, they showed, she tried to manipulate him by telling him she was having sex with other students.
The boy's family members reported the abuse to Fort Myers Police on March 3, according to the department. When a family member called King, police said, she told them to give her a week so she could "quit and leave the area."
A warrant was issued for King's arrest on March 6, according to court documents.
In a statement to Fox 4, the Lee County School District wrote that it did "not tolerate this kind of behavior."
"The employee involved was immediately removed from the school when allegations were reported pending the outcome of an investigation," a spokesperson told the outlet.
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An attorney for the victim's family told the outlet that the Lee County School District "allowed a child predator to infiltrate our most vulnerable spaces."
"This predator targeted our client, and it was only due to his vigilant parents that she was stopped," the attorney said. "The school district bears responsibility for allowing such a dangerous individual near our children... and must own up to its critical failure in safeguarding our students."
Fox News Digital could not reach an attorney representing King for comment at press time. Her next court date in Florida's 20th Judicial Circuit is scheduled for April 8, according to court records.