Ashley Pearce Merritt Island high school cafeteria worker arrested sending student photos of her unclothed breast after ‘instructing’ boy to follow her on social media. Police now fear other possible victims.
A Florida high school cafeteria worker has been accused of sending sexually charged images to a minor student after the boy began following her on social media.
Ashley Pearce, a 39-year-old cafeteria worker at Merritt Island High School, was arrested by Brevard County Sheriff‘s deputies on Monday.
The student who received the photos reported the incident to local sheriff’s deputies, leading to an investigation into Pearce.
Pearce was charged with transmitting information harmful to a minor by electronic device, according to Florida Today.
In addition to working at the high school cafeteria, Pearce is also an after-school childcare provider at Andersen Elementary School. She has been suspended from both jobs.
Investigators said Pearce gave her social media information to the student and instructed the boy to follow her.
Once the student did, the two began sending direct messages to each other. The student eventually blocked Pearce entreaties after she allegedly sent the boy an image of her breasts. The boy in turn reported the interaction to the police according to a release via the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
Pearce was arrested and booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex on a $2,500 bond. Her trial date has not been set, WKMG reported.
During questioning, Pearce insisted she was not aware of the boy’s age when she gave him her social media details. However, investigators told her she should have been aware the victim was underage due to them being a student at the school, The Kansas City Star reported.
Read a statement sent by school officials to parents, Monday:
‘Police have arrested a female food services employee for sending inappropriate photos to a minor male student at Merritt Island High School. Brevard Public Schools is fully cooperating with the Brevard County Sheriff’s (BCSO) in their investigation into this incident,‘ the school said in the statement. ‘We understand how unsettling this news may be for our community. The safety and well-being of students in our school is always our top priority. This is an active and ongoing police investigation.’
Investigators are combing through Pearce’s social media activity to see if there are any more victims of possible abuse.
Parents who believe their child may have had any inappropriate communications with Pearce are asked to call 321-633-8419.