A 28-year-old middle school teacher in Manatee County, Florida, is facing felony charges after authorities say she sent sexually explicit material to a 14-year-old student through Snapchat.
Oliver Fell, a teacher at Carlos E. Haile Middle School, was charged with lewd conduct with a student by an authority figure and transmission of harmful material to a minor. She turned herself in to authorities on June 2, following the issuance of an arrest warrant. Fell remains in custody at the Manatee County Jail with bond set at $2,500, according to jail records.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the student reported the alleged abuse on March 3, telling a school resource deputy that Fell had started communicating with him on Snapchat in December 2024. On January 2, she allegedly sent him a nude photo. The student’s mother, Beverly Hernandez, said she was first informed about the communication when she was called to the school the day her son was suspended for making the allegation.
Hernandez accused the school of mishandling the situation and retraumatizing her son. “They called him a liar,” she told local media. “By him thinking he was doing the right thing and speaking up, they retaliated against him.”
A Crimes Against Children investigation began shortly after the report. Detectives obtained a warrant for the student’s phone, where they said they found an explicit image of a breast that matched Fell. Two clothed images on his phone also appeared on Fell’s public Instagram, according to investigators.
The school resource deputy also reviewed a screenshot showing a Snapchat chat with an account named “Oliver” followed by a purple cat emoji. The student identified this account as Fell’s. Fell denied the account belonged to her and denied sending any nude photos, the sheriff’s office said.
Despite the serious nature of the claims, Fell continued teaching at Haile Middle until May 14, more than two months after the student came forward. She was then reassigned to a role without student contact.
In a letter to parents, school principal Irene Nikitopoulos said the district acted after law enforcement confirmed evidence. However, Manatee County School Board Chair Chad Choate later acknowledged the district should have placed Fell on leave much sooner. “If you look at the policy issues—yes, she should have been put on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” he told ABC7.
Further evidence from Snapchat, received by detectives on May 12, allowed the sheriff’s office to move forward with charges. Fell turned herself in the night the warrant was issued.
As of June 5, she has not entered a plea and has no legal representation listed, according to court records.
