OCALA, Fla. — A former elementary school teacher was arrested and charged with molesting a 6-year-old boy she used to teach, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Christina Ruby Sanchez-Rodriguez, 30, was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation on a former student of hers at Evergreen Elementary School in Ocala.
Detectives say the information Sanchez-Rodriguez had molested the student about two years ago came out when the little boy recently became upset after learning Sanchez-Rodriguez would be teaching one of his family members. When asked, the boy confided in a family friend and told them Sanchez-Rodriguez had touched his private areas on multiple occasions and didn't want the same thing to happen to his family member.
The boy said Sanchez-Rodriguez had told him not to tell anyone and said she liked him like a "boyfriend," according to detectives. When the boy would tell Sanchez-Rodriguez he didn't want her touching him, she would "get upset and ignore him in class."
When detectives interviewed school staff and family members, they learned Sanchez-Rodriguez would take the boy out of lunch and bring him back to her classroom. During class, she would let him play on her phone under her desk and would also pay special attention to him.
The boy would come home with gifts she bought for him and Sanchez-Rodriguez would want to take him out to "fun places" such as meeting a famous athlete or going to the mall. Because of this special attention, the boy was taken out of Sanchez-Rodriguez's class. When she found out she quit, detectives say.
With the boy's statement and other witness statements, Sanchez-Rodriguez was arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail with a $25,000 bond.
Because of this information and additional information given during interviews, detectives say it is likely Sanchez-Rodriguez has victimized more students.
If you or someone you know has been victimized by Sanchez-Rodriguez, detectives are asking you to contact Detective Scala at 352-368-3548.
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