A Florida substitute teacher was busted for having sex with a teenage student who allegedly shared one of their trysts in a Snapchat video, law enforcement officials said.
20-year-old Ayanna Davis, a substitute English teacher at Lakeland High School, was arrested on Friday after she admitted to having unprotected sex with the student four times — twice at her house and twice at the victim’s house, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Davis’ admission matched with statements made by the victim, whose exact age wasn’t disclosed but was listed in the release as 16 years old or younger.
Authorities launched a probe of the teacher on Dec. 3, after a student informed the school’s resource officer that a Snapchat video was circulating that showed Davis having sex with a student. The video was reportedly shown to a large group of the school’s football team.
Law enforcement officials have not yet been able to view the video, but are working on tracking it down.
After her interview with police, Davis was charged by the sheriff’s office with two counts of sexual battery by custodian and offenses against students by an authority figure. She additionally was charged with two additional counts of sexual battery by the Lakeland Police Department.
“This is a clear violation of sexual battery laws. She was in a position of influence over the victim, and she took advantage of that for her own twisted pleasure,” Judd said.
She made her first court appearance on Dec. 11, when a $60,000 bond was ordered for all five charges. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 10, 2022.
According to officials, Davis is not a Polk County Public Schools employee, but served at Lakeland High School as a substitute teacher through staffing company Kelly Education Services.
The company has been instructed that Davis is no longer able to work in any Polk County public schools, officials said.
“We expect substitute teachers to uphold the same high standards of conduct and professionalism as our full-time educators,” said Superintendent Frederick Heid in a statement. “The charges against this person are disgraceful and a complete violation of the trust that teachers build with their students. There is no room in our schools for this type of conduct.”
The Polk County school district changed its policy in October permitting anyone 20 years old or older with a high school or GED diploma to be a substitute teacher.
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