A female high school reading teacher is accused of molesting a young girl for over four years.
Authorities say Jeanette Barbara Valle-Tejeda groomed the 14-year-old and helped her financially.
Valle-Tejeda, 41, is also accused of signing the girl out of school without her mother’s permission and excusing her from other classes so they could be alone.
Valle-Tejeda worked at Hialeah high schools in Miami-Dade, Florida, for 20 years and now faces multiple charges, including offenses against students by authority figures, engaging in a sexual act with a child, and multiple counts of lewd and lascivious battery involving a child, the Daily Mail reported.
Authorities say three other past students have come forward saying the former teacher engaged in sexual acts with them at her home and other schools where she taught.
The victim told police that the abuse started when she was 14 and attended Henry H. Filer Middle School in 2009. She said it continued until she turned 18 while she was a student at Westland Hialeah Senior High School.
‘The offender groomed Ms. (blank) as a mother figure providing Ms. (blank) financial assistance and other needs. (The victim) visited the subject’s residence several times, sleeping overnight at the residence on several occasions,’ the arrest report states.
‘The investigation revealed that according to Ms. (blank), the relationship began when she was 14 years old and ended at 18. ‘
The former student also spoke on another alleged victim who told police she and the teacher ‘were involved in a romantic relationship when she was eleven years old. The offender took advantage of the fact Ms. (blank) was constantly disagreeing with her parents and stepped in as a mother figure.’
‘Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply disturbed about the allegations made against this individual,’ said a statement.
‘As soon as the claims surfaced last month, the employee was removed from the school setting, and Miami-Dade Schools Police launched an investigation. The District will be terminating her employment, and she will be prevented from seeking future work with this school system.’
