A charter school teacher from Coral Springs has been arrested for the alleged sexual battery of a 15-year-old former student, police said.
Joseph Michael Melendez, 33, was arrested Thursday on one felony count of sexual battery, two felony counts of lewd and lascivious battery, and one felony count of lewd and lascivious molestation, Coral Spring Police officials said.
Melendez, a teacher at Coral Springs Charter School, had been under investigation dating back to July 21 after the victim told investigators he’d had a sexual relationship with Melendez, police said.
The victim said their relationship started in 2018 and continued until 2019, when the student was a freshman and sophomore, police said.
Officials said Melendez had been the victim’s teacher and was in charge of the after-school American Sign Language club.
Investigators with the department’s Special Victims Unit arrested Melendez on Thursday at the Northwest Regional Library.
After he was taken into custody, Melendez admitted he’d had a sexual relationship with the victim when he was 15, police said.
Officials said Melendez was fired by the school after the school was informed of his arrest.
In a statement, a school spokesperson confirmed Melendez had been fired.
“The safety and security of our students in our number one priority,” the statement read.
Melendez was in the process of being booked into jail.
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