A Pasco County Schools teacher was arrested on charges of sexual battery on a student, according to a statement from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Detectives began a probe into 32-year-old Kyle Handfield last month after receiving information about him being involved in an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old student.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office noted that investigators learned during the investigation that Handfield contacted the victim via a social networking website and that the sexual activity between them took place between 2017 and 2018 while the victim was a student at Pinellas Park Middle School, where the suspect taught.
A former Pinellas County Schools teacher, Handfield worked at Pinellas Park Middle School from March of 2015 till August 2020. He has been employed with Pasco County Schools at Fivay High School since August of 2020.
Investigation
The unnamed victim told the detectives that Handfield engaged in inappropriate sexual activity with her while he was her teacher at the Pinellas Park Middle School. Detectives don't yet know if there are additional victims. Anyone with more information about the incident is requested to call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, Crimes Against Children Unit, Detective Leib at 727-582-6566.
Another incident
In a similar incident, an Edwardsville, Illinois teacher, Danielle C. Fischer, 29, was charged with four counts of criminal sexual assault for allegedly engaging in sexual relationships with at least two underage boys.
A permanent substitute teacher in the Roxana School District during the school year 2020-2021 and the Alton School District during the 2021-2022 school year, Fischer is accused of engaging in sexual activity with two underage students - a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy. Fischer was charged with a Class 1 felony, and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, by the Madison County State's Attorney's office on Friday.
