OCALA, Fla. – A 31-year-old Ocala high school teacher was arrested Friday on allegations of having sex with a student who was living in his home.
Ocala police said Nick Elder, a teacher’s assistant at Vanguard High School, was arrested on charges of unlawful sex with a minor. Police initially identified Elder as a teacher.
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According to an Ocala police arrest affidavit, an anonymous complaint to the Department of Children and Families earlier this month stated that Elder was involved in inappropriate activity with two students at Vanguard High.
The DCF alerted the school, and Elder was placed on leave, police said.
A detective spoke with a 17-year-old girl, who said she met Elder on Tinder and ended up in a relationship with him, the affidavit stated. The teen said she left home in June and moved in with Elder, who had a one-bedroom apartment, according to officials.
The teen said she wasn’t forced to have sex with Elder but felt obligated because he kept asking her to and she was not paying him rent, according to the affidavit.
She also said Elder supplied drugs and alcohol on several occasions, according to police.
Elder said he thought the girl was 18 because she was on Tinder but admitted that he had sex with her after he found out her correct age, according to police.
He said he never supplied drugs but added, “I’m not going to lie, I did smoke (marijuana) with her,” according to the affidavit.
Police said nude photos of women were found on Elder’s phone.
Ocala police said anyone with with information about Elder or similar incidents should call 352-369-7000.