A Lakeland middle school teacher is in the Polk County Jail, charged with corruption over threatening a State Attorney, Polk County deputies said.
Kelly Ann Karynn, 49, who teaches at Bartow Middle School, was arrested Wednesday, after deputies say, she threatened a State Attorney in a jail house conversation with David Bills, who is in the Polk County Jail on child sexual battery charges. Karynn and Bills, who is married, were involved in a romantic relationship before his incarceration.
Bills was originally arrested on November 6, 2013, was released on bond on November 24, 2013, and was taken into custody again on December 10, 2013 for violating the conditions of his pre-trial release because he had contact with the child victim of the sexual battery while he was out on bond. He has remained in jail since December.
During a recorded conversation, Karynn advised Bills that she had been served with a subpoena for a deposition by the State Attorney’s Office to be taken on August 8, 2014 regarding Bills’ upcoming criminal trial. Karynn discussed searching on the Internet for personal information regarding Assistant State Attorney Melissa Gravitt. Karynn indicated she had viewed photographs of ASA Gravitt, her husband and children. Karynn shared information with Gravitt demonstrating she had knowledge of what ASA Gravitt and her children looked like.
Bills told Karynn during the phone call that ASA Gravitt has a tough reputation and tries to “scare” criminal defendants. Karynn responded by stating, “If she wants to scare me, I’ll start talking about children and how I know she has three children and their ages. You’re a mother right?” Bills reminded Karynn their conversation may be recorded by law enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office, to which she replied, “That’s fine! Hi Melissa, how are you? I look forward to seeing you on the 8th. How are the kids?”
Yesterday, July 30, 2014, PCSO detectives served a search warrant on Karynn’s home and confiscated a cell phone, a computer and miscellaneous documents related to the investigation. Detectives are conducting a forensic analysis of her computer and cell phone.
Karynn is being held in the Polk County Jail on no bond.
