FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Lee County school employee is charged with two child sex crimes involving a student. According to a source close to the investigation, the paraprofessional, Lauren King, worked at Royal Palm Exceptional Center in Dunbar.
Police say King and a student sent over 4,000 text messages to each other in a month. They say she also sent nude photos and videos of her performing a sexual act.
According to FMPD, this eventually escalated into King sexually battering the student outside of class.
Fox 4 tracked down King's home and spoke with her child’s grandmother, asking her about the allegations.
"We don't hang out, we don't do things, she's my grandson's mom, period. I'm being here for my grandson. Hopefully this all works out for the best and life gets back to normal," the grandmother stated.
The Lee County School District issued a statement:
"The district does not tolerate this kind of behavior. The employee involved was immediately removed from the school when the allegations were reported pending the outcome of an investigation.”
Fox 4 also contacted the victim’s family, and their attorney sent us a statement:
“The School District of Lee County failed systemically. Schools should be sanctuaries where children feel safe, yet this district allowed a child predator to infiltrate our most vulnerable spaces. This predator targeted our client, and it was only due to his vigilant parents that she was stopped. The school district bears responsibility for allowing such a dangerous individual near our children. The arrest of Ms. King serves as a grave indictment against the district, and it must own up to its critical failure in safeguarding our students.”
Neighbors of King say she mostly kept to herself.
"I'd usually see her in the mornings, when I go by the house, you know to and from work. Nothing out of the ordinary though, just typical coming and going," shared one of her neighbors.
King was arrested on Thursday at Enclave Apartments off Central Avenue and went to the Lee County Jail. She is charged with two counts of lewd or lascivious behavior.
King will likely appear in front of a judge on Friday morning.
