A former South Florida high school teacher is accused of "grooming" a 16-year-old student for a sexual relationship by complimenting her looks, sending her suggestive text messages and suggesting she could be his teenage bride, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
John Michael Teti, 41, of Sunrise, who was a digitial information technology teacher at Northeast High School in Oakland Park, was arrested Thursday, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office. He was charged with soliciting a romantic, lewd and sexual relationship with the girl, the Sheriff's Office said.
According to authorities, Teti used his position to engage in a romantic relationship with the teenager between October and December 2018, WPLG reported. Teti had been reassigned away from the high school since "early January 2019," school district spokeswoman Nadine Drew told the Sun-Sentinel. Teti received a letter of termination the day he was arrested, Drew told the newspaper.
Deputies said the relationship between Teti and the teen began when he offered to pick her up from home when she was running late, allowed her to skip class by staying in his classroom, and used a vape pen to get high with her, WSVN reported.
Deputies said Teti offered the teen use of his private Vudu account and volunteered to go to her house for tutoring, while using emojis in the message to show he meant sex, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
In one message, Teti allegedly asked the teen, “If my wife were to suddenly die, would you be my teenage bride?” the newspaper reported, citing the arrest reported.
After his arrest, Teti told detectives he had a “special relationship” with the girl and admitted sending the messages early in the morning “when he was lonely,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Teti remains in the Broward County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond.
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