Lauren King, 32, will serve 8 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old student. King, a former Lee County teacher from Royal Palm Exceptional Center, was arrested at her apartment.
According to police reports, the abuse started on January 28, 2024. King sent the boy text messages, explicit photos, and videos. They met for sexual encounters in her car and at an apartment.
Lee County Clerk of Court documents stated that King contacted the boy regularly for months and sent more than 4,000 messages.
To keep the boy quiet, King gave him gifts. These included an iPhone, headphones, and a computer. She also sent him $230 for his birthday and told him to delete their text conversations.
The allegation came to light when the boy’s family reported the abuse to Fort Myers Police on March 3, prompting an investigation.
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Following the family’s intervention, King reportedly told them she would “quit and leave the area” to avoid repercussions.
Police arrested her on March 7, at The Enclave 3726 apartment complex on Central Avenue.
The Lee County School District fired King when the allegations came out. The victim’s lawyer says the school failed to protect students.
Prosecutors said in court this sentence is lower than what they previously offered King in a plea deal.
However, at the request of the family, the counteroffer was accepted in an effort to avoid a trial and allow the victim to put this behind him.