A cafeteria worker at a high school shared social media usernames with a student, after which she sent him an inappropriate photo, according to Florida authorities.
Ashley Pearce, 39, was employed in the cafeteria at Merritt Island High School and also offered after-school child care at Andersen Elementary School, as reported by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
She is now facing charges for transmitting harmful material to a child using electronic devices, according to records.
On October 29, there was no attorney information found in Brevard County records. The school district has announced her suspension, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
On October 25, Pearce engaged in a discussion with a sophomore boy regarding social media while at work, during which she shared her username, according to an arrest affidavit filed by deputies.
After connecting on the app and exchanging messages, Pearce faces allegations of sending the student a partially nude photo while reclining in bed.
The student felt “uncomfortable,” leading him to block her and report the incident, according to the affidavit from deputies.
Pearce informed investigators that she shared her social media username with the student and communicated with him, but initially claimed she was unaware of the student’s age, according to deputies. It was suggested that she ought to have been aware the student was underage since he was enrolled at the school where she was employed.
She has been taken into custody and faces charges.
The Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who has had similar encounters with Pearce to reach out to Special Victims Unit Agent Michelle Sweet-Caporizzo at 321-633-8419.
Merritt Island, located in Brevard County along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, is approximately a 60-mile drive southeast of Orlando.