According to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, a Florida high school instructor has been arrested for allegedly having inappropriate contact with a pupil.
Lucas Cridlebaugh, 25, is a Winter Springs High School teacher. According to FOX 35 Orlando, he was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday before being arrested on Wednesday.
Deputies said they were called Monday evening by the victim’s mother after she discovered Cridlebaugh exchanged explicit texts with her daughter, a Winter Springs High School student, throughout the spring and early summer of 2023.
“During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Cridlebaugh also had inappropriate sexual contact with the victim on several occasions on the school campus,” Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. The allegations were supported by detectives conducted with the alleged victim, they said.
Detectives questioned Cridlebaugh, who was arrested on two counts of lewd and lascivious violence on a minor and three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor, according to the sheriff’s office.
Cridlebaugh was arrested and his bond was set at $75,000.
In a statement to parents obtained by FOX 35, Winter Springs High School Principal Pete Gaffney said: “I want you to know that any allegations of misconduct by our staff will be taken seriously and handled quickly. We will continue to fully cooperate and assist law enforcement as they continue their investigation.”
Seminole County Public Schools stated that the event was reported to the Department of Family and Children Services as well as local enforcement.
Anyone with information about a similar event involving Cridlebaugh is asked to call the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office at 407-665-6650.
