Former Florida Teacher and Foster Parent Arrested for Alleged Inappropriate Relationship with Student:Police

Former teacher Kristen O'Brien, 31, arrested
Volusia County Florida Police

Kristen O’Brien, 31, was arrested last week and charged with lewd and lascivious battery and committing a sexual act on a child older than 12 but younger than 16. 

A former teacher at a Christian school in Florida was arrested for having inappropriate sexual contact with a student, according to Daytona police.

Kristen O’Brien, 31, was arrested on Oct. 16 and charged with lewd and lascivious battery and committing a sexual act on a child older than 12 but younger than 16. She was released on Oct. 17 from the Indian Lake Jail after posting a $50,000 surety bond, according to court records.

Court documents claim that the relationship became physical between the teacher and her student, according to WFTV9 News.

O’Brien quit her job at United Brethren in Christ Academy in Holly Hill in September, described as a small Christian school, where O’Brien taught the child, according to reports. 

Daytona Beach police said they started investigating O’Brien in September after the victim’s mother reported the incident, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported. 

According to police, the mother was reviewing her son’s phone as punishment for running away when she came across conversations her son was having with O’Brien through text and Instagram messages.

O’Brien met the boy’s mother at a Steak and Shake where she allegedly admitted to having an “inappropriate emotional relationship” and a “crush” on her son, ABC affiliate reported WFTV9 News.

In the arrest report, police say O’Brien told the mother that she gave her son three different options: Her son could pretend that she never told him that she had a crush on him; they could stop talking to one another, or they could do whatever they wanted and not worry about the consequences, reported the News-Journal.

The police claim that O’Brien also admitted to having a sexual encounter in the family’s home in September, according to WFTV9.

O’Brien seemingly wanted to be friends with the family and was at their home regularly, according to the police.

Police said O’Brien told the mother that she was helping the victim’s brother with school work and took him to McDonald’s to make the victim jealous. 

O’Brien was also a licensed foster parent with the Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) in Volusia County, according to a CHS representative.

Since the allegations, the foster children that were in O’Brien’s home have been removed and, according to CHS, O’Brien will be ineligible to house foster children in the future, reported WKMG6-TV/clickorlando.com.

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