Hillsborough County teacher charged with having sex with student www.privateofficer.com

TAMPA Fla July 18 2012

A King High School English teacher in the school’s International Baccalaureate program was arrested Monday, accused of having sex with one of his students after school, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

Jeffrey Halle, 32, of Plant City, had sex with a female student in a vacant classroom at King High during the spring semester, deputies said.

He was charged with sexual battery/familiar, traveling to meet a minor and certain prohibited use of computer service and devices. He was charged with sexual battery/familiar because he was in a position of authority and knew the girl, said Larry McKinnon, a sheriff’s office spokesman.

“Even if a child does consent to having sex with an adult, that doesn’t provide immunity for an adult to face criminal prosecution,” McKinnon said.

Sometime after the two had sex on campus, Halle and the girl agreed to meet again in July to have sex, the sheriff’s office said.

When Halle arrived at the girl’s home to pick her up, he was confronted by the girl’s father, the sheriff’s office said. Halle left, but the parents contacted the sheriff’s office.

Halle has been teaching at King High since the 2009-2010 school year. He was hired by the Hillsborough County School District in the 2006-2007 school year and previously taught at Freedom High and Plant City High.

There have been no other similar allegations against him in the past, said Linda Cobbe, a school district spokeswoman.

The school district sent Halle a letter on Monday notifying him he cannot return to King High. If he doesn’t resign, the school board will suspend him without pay at an upcoming meeting, Cobbe said.

Source:tbo