VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A New Smyrna Beach High School teacher who cheated on her husband with a student multiple times told a friend she did it because she "just liked the attention," according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Megan Parris, 28, turned herself in Thursday after a judge signed a warrant for her arrest.
Deputies said the investigation began in March when another student reported information about Parris and a 16-year-old boy to school authorities.
The victim told investigators that he and Parris began to get close when he started seeing her during her office hours to get help with his school work.
Eventually, the two began messaging through Instagram, according to the report.
Deputies said one day, Parris was driving the boy home after school and said she needed to stop by her house, and she asked him to come inside. The two kissed in her kitchen, but the boy got nervous and asked her to stop when she started taking her clothes off, records show.
About a week after that, the victim was at a park where teens normally hang out and he noticed Parris there. Deputies said he approached her and they decided to drive to the beach, where they had sex in the backseat of her vehicle.
Two weeks later, the boy was walking home when Parris drove up behind him and offered him a ride. Deputies said they went to the same parking lot and had sex with the boy in her Jeep once again.
Records show Parris sent the teen nude photos through Instagram after they began having sex. She also sent him an "I love you" message, according to authorities.
Employees at the school said they noticed Parris and the boy seemed to have a close relationship, would hug on multiple occasions and would arrive together in the morning, according to the report.
Parris has been on paid administrative leave outside of the classroom since the allegation surfaced, a news release said.
Another teacher, who is friends with Parris, said Parris spoke with her after the allegations and said she wanted to be honest about everything, according to the affidavit.
Deputies said Parris told the woman that she and her husband were having problems in their marriage and she "just liked the attention" that came from having sex with the student.
Principal Matt Krajewski has since released a statement to parents on Facebook.
"As with all employees, a background check was conducted on this teacher showing no prior incidences or convictions," the statement reads.
Hello. This is Matt Krajewski, principal of New Smyrna Beach High School. A former teacher from our school has recently...
Posted by New Smyrna Beach High School on Friday, October 18, 2019
Parris' attorney sent a statement to News 6 regarding the allegations:
"Ms. Parris is presumed innocent of all charges against her. A seven-month investigation failed to produce even one picture, text message, or bit of DNA corroborating these allegations," Jeff Higgins said. "That lack of objective evidence raises serious questions as to the credibility of the accusations."
According to records, Parris was released from jail Friday morning after posting a $25,000 bail. She's facing a charge of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.