The Polk County Sheriff’s Office recently arrested a substitute English teacher working at New Beginnings High School, a charter school in Lakeland, for sex offenses against two of his female students.
33-year old Jerron Dunn of Lakeland is being charged charged with Sex Offense on a Student by an Authority Figure, and Transmission of Material Harmful to a Minor. He was booked into the Polk County Jail during the early morning hours of November 30, 2023, and is being held on no bond until a first appearance hearing.
The investigation began when the two female victims, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, told their guidance counselor that Dunn sent them both videos of himself masturbating, via Snapchat. The guidance counselor contacted the Sheriff’s Office.
The first victim (17) told detectives that she borrowed a charger for her phone from Dunn and while her phone was charging, he went into her phone and added himself onto her Snapchat. He then began sending her messages asking her to come visit him at his house. She declined but he continued sending messages, and then sent her a video of himself masturbating.
The second victim (18) told detectives that she accepted Dunn’s friend request on Snapchat, after which he began messaging her and telling her that she was pretty and he wanted to start a relationship with her. The victim told Dunn that he was too old for her and that it would be “weird” because he is her teacher. He continued to send her messages, and then sent her several videos of himself masturbating. He told her he wanted her to be a “friend with benefits” and to come over to his house and have sex with him.
Dunn admitted to communicating via Snapchat with the 17-year-old victim, and to asking the 18-year-old to be his girlfriend and also sending her the explicit videos. Detectives will conduct a forensic analysis of his cell phone, and further charges are pending.
“This suspect used his position of authority over students to groom them and attempt to have sex with them; our hope is that there are no other victims,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “We encourage anyone who has been victimized by Jerron Dunn to please contact law enforcement.”
If anyone has information regarding similar acts by Jerron Dunn, please contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
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