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A teacher from Florida, Heather M. Mashburn-Smith, faces serious allegations of engaging in sexual activities with a 17-year-old student on school property, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). The announcement was made on Wednesday.
The CCSO’s Major Crimes Unit began investigating the case after receiving reports of potential illegal interactions between Mashburn-Smith, who teaches at Port Charlotte High School, and one of her students. This information was relayed by the school’s principal, James Vernon, via the ParentSquare app, as reported by Gulf Coast News.
The sheriff’s office found sufficient grounds to arrest Mashburn-Smith, stating that she allegedly had sexual encounters with the student on two separate occasions within the past month.
An image from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office shows a mugshot of the 37-year-old teacher, Heather Mashburn-Smith, overlaid on a Google Maps view of the Port Charlotte High School baseball field. This arrest highlights the gravity of the charges brought against her.
A mugshot of Heather Mashburn-Smith inlaid over a Google Maps screenshot of the Port Charlotte High School baseball field. Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Mashburn-Smith, a 37-year-old teacher, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a teenage student. (Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office)
The student reportedly told investigators that the pair began communicating on the social media messaging platform Snapchat, according to an affidavit obtained by Gulf Coast News.
The student reportedly told Mashburn-Smith she was pretty in the messages, at which point she summoned him to her classroom to ask him about the messages, the outlet reported. She then began flirting with him and the pair had sex in her classroom twice over the course of four or five weeks, Gulf Coast News reported.
Port Charlotte, Florida is a small town on the west coast of Florida, located just north of Fort Myers. (Google Maps)
Mashburn-Smith confessed to the crimes and was charged with Unlawful Activity with Certain Minors, the sheriff’s office said. The charge, typically a second-degree felony under Florida state law, is enhanced to a first-degree felony because of Mashburn-Smith’s position as a teacher.
“The actions of this individual are a direct violation of the duty every educator owes to students and families. We will not tolerate anything that compromises student safety,” Charlotte County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Vianello said in a statement.
“This individual has been placed on administrative leave as we work closely with law enforcement and pursue full accountability. Our focus remains on protecting our students and responding decisively,” Vianello concluded.
A first-degree charge of Unlawful Activity with Certain Minors can carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison according to Florida penal codes.
The encounters allegedly began with Snapchat messages. (Jhorrocks/iStock)
“What this woman has done is not just unlawful, it is damaging to the students and staff around her. Teachers are meant to be people that students can trust and seek out for mentorship, guidance, and encouragement. This individual took advantage of that vulnerability and preyed on one of the people she was entrusted to protect,” CCSO Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement.
“We take that very seriously in Charlotte County, and I applaud my Major Crimes detectives for their quick and appropriate actions to intervene, investigate, and make an arrest,” Prummell concluded.
Fox News Digital contacted CCSO and Charlotte County Public Schools for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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