BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A former Brevard County high school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a former student between 2014 and 2016.
Dodd Anthony Mitchell, 55, was arrested after investigators received information regarding the relationship.
The victim told deputies that she met Mitchell when she was in ninth grade at Astronaut High School and began a relationship with him that included flirtation and sexting, according to an arrest affidavit.
On her birthday in 2014, Mitchell had sex with the victim at his home in Cocoa, the report said. Mitchell is accused of having sexual encounters with the girl at least 50 times between then and June 2016, when the relationship ended.
Deputies said Mitchell was "emotionally distraught" in emails and text messages he sent the victim after the relationship ended.
The victim, whose age was not available, reported the abuse to deputies on Oct. 2.
Mitchell is charged with sexual battery of a person under 18 years of age while in custodial authority.
He is being held on $250,000 bond.
Brevard Public Schools released a statement about the arreston Wednesday.
“Brevard Public Schools won’t stand for any kind of predatory or sexual behavior toward students by its employees. When students or parents come forward to report potentially criminal behavior, we act -- including calling the police or sheriff’s office to investigate. Today, we are saddened and infuriated to learn of the arrest of a former JROTC instructor at Astronaut High. If the principal or other school staff were aware of the off-campus relationship, they would have acted to stop it and remove the teacher from campus immediately,” said Matt Reed, assistant superintendent for government and community relations.
Anyone with additional information is urged to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.