Authorities in Florida have detained a teacher accused of engaging in sexual activity with her student after he discovered her crying in her classroom.
Erika Mattson, aged 36, faced charges from the Panama City Police Department with one felony count of an authority figure participating in sexual conduct with a student, following the student’s assertion that they entered into a ‘sexual and romantic relationship’ starting in May 2023.
A police affidavit stated: ‘The victim stated that the relationship began after he saw [Mattson] crying in her classroom and approached her.’
At the time of the alleged relationship, the student was 18 and attending the Kaleidoscope School of Discovery in Panama City, where Mattson was employed. She had previously been his middle school teacher years earlier.
The unnamed student informed police that he and Mattson began exchanging messages and started ‘flirting’ while he was still enrolled, and they even went on a date together.
He explained that although they planned to visit a local cinema, they ‘never made it inside’, and instead ‘talked and made out.’ According to the affidavit, days later, Mattson invited him to her residence, where they engaged in sexual activity.
The affidavit noted: ‘The victim could not advise exactly how many times the two engaged in s£xual activity while he was still enrolled in school but advised it happened numerous times before he graduated.’
In addition to his statements, the student supplied police with images of himself and Mattson, including ‘shirtless photos of the victim with [Mattson] embracing him’ as well as ‘kissing,’ as described in the affidavit.
She was booked into Bay City Jail and later released after paying a $25,000 bond. Mattson is scheduled to return to court on May 15 for her arraignment.
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