A Florida physical education teacher is currently in custody facing a felony molestation charge following an investigation into allegations involving an elementary school student, according to authorities.
Jeffery Thomas Farris was arrested on October 30 by Major Crimes Detective Hunter Kephart of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Farris faces a charge of lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim under 12 years of age.
Investigators began examining Farris in September after receiving a report that he had inappropriately touched a female student when she was 8 years old. According to detectives, the incident took place at Saddlewood Elementary School, where Farris was employed as a physical education teacher.
Investigators stated that Farris directed the student into an equipment room and grabbed her private areas while she was bent over. The child informed detectives that Farris had also grabbed her around the waist on multiple occasions leading up to the incident.
Detectives further noted that Farris had faced disciplinary action in the past. In 2017, while teaching at Saddlewood Elementary, Farris also served as a wrestling coach at West Port High School. School officials suspended him that year after discovering that he had shared a hotel room with a female student during an out-of-town wrestling tournament.
When investigators questioned Farris about the reason for his interview, he claimed he believed it was related to a recent incident in which he saw a student’s nipple while assisting her in unzipping a jacket.
Farris was booked into the Marion County Jail, where records indicate he is being held without bond.
Detectives stated that statements made during the interview, combined with prior reports, lead them to believe additional victims may exist. Authorities urge anyone with relevant information or who may have had similar encounters with Farris to contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 352-732-9111.
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