An ex-Florida teacher has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student and giving her a sexually transmitted disease.
Alex Michael Palomino, 27, who worked at Lake Academy, was charged on Saturday with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
The Tavares Police Department said the teen’s father contacted authorities on October 9 to report that his daughter admitted to the sexual encounters.
Ex-teacher Alex Michael Palomino (left during arrest, and right in 2014), 27, has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student and giving her a sexually transmitted disease
According to police, the father told them that his daughter and Palomino had a sexual relationship that lasted six to eight months.
Palomino was working as a behavioral technician at Lake Academy in Eustis when the relationship began, according to the Orlando Sentinel. He then reportedly began communicating with her on Snapchat.
The teen said she was surprised when Palomino reached out to her on the app, where he asked her on the date.
According to the police report, Palomino and the teen met for sex three times at a hotel in Tavares and saw each other every other month.
The teen’s mother said her daughter’s pediatrician diagnosed her with an STD about a month before the report, according to the Sentinel.
Authorities did not release any other details about the transmitted disease.
A spokesperson for the school district said Palomino no longer worked for Lake Academy and was fired for unrelated issues before the start of the school year, according to WFTV. It’s unclear why Palomino was fired.
Palomino was booked Saturday at the Lake County Jail. He was being held Monday in lieu of $45,000 bail.
Palomino was booked Saturday at the Lake County Jail. He was being held Monday in lieu of $45,000 bail. Pictured is Lake Academy, where Palomino was working before he was fired