Former Teacher Charged with Sex Crimes on a Girl

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- A former St. Johns County teacher is accused of performing sexual crimes on a ten-year-old girl in Pennsylvania.

David Hodges, 62, has been arrested and faces seven charges against a child. The charges include rape and aggravated indecent assault.

He retired from Switzerland Point Middle School in 2008. He was the technology teacher there.

Tuesday, Hodges turned himself into the Pennsylvania State Police.

Michelle Olshefski, the Deputy District Attorney in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, says Hodges gave the child part of an anti-anxiety pill and had intercourse with her while she pretended to be asleep.

Olshefski said that was last summer when Hodges was visiting relatives just outside Scranton, Pennsylvania.

"Considering what he did when he thought she was asleep," Olshefski said, "I absolutely believe there was intent behind giving her the medication."

According to investigative documents, Hodges shared the same bed with the child, touched her inappropriately and raped her.

The documents indicate the girl told her parents what happened soon after the alleged incident.

The investigation took a year because the lab work took a while and because Hodges lives out of state.

"I don't know if you have problems in Florida, but our labs are backlogged, so it took a while to get the initial report from the lab."

When asked about Hodges being a retired teacher, Olshefski said, "I've been doing this long enough for that to raise a red flag... not that we have any kind of evidence there's any prior history of the defendant engaging in this kind of conduct with children, but the fact he was a school teacher and around children concerns me."

Steven Stein is Hodges' attorney. He told First Coast News his client is denying all the allegations and will be pleading not-guilty.

Hodges posted bond and is back in St. Johns County where he lives.

Stein said his Hodges will be going back to Pennsylvania for the court hearings.

Stein said this is a "difficult situation for everyone."

A current St. Johns County school board member told First Coast News she was shocked to hear about Hodges' arrest. She said she had only heard positive things about him.

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