An Ocala high school junior sought out his dean of students Monday to report another student for making sexual advances toward him verbally and physically.
The Forest High School dean than called the school’s resource officer for help. The dean told the resource officer, who is a Marion County sheriff’s deputy, that the 11th-grader was upset because the other student was very explicit in his language last Friday and made movements toward him “as though he was going to grab at his crotch area,” a sheriff’s office report states.
The 11th-grader confirmed the story to the deputy and said the problem with the other student had been ongoing for several months. He said he had discussed the issue with his parents and they didn’t want to press charges yet, but would rather the school’s dean handle the issue, the report says.
The dean reported the incident to the Department of Children and Families, which took a report and then sent two investigators out to conduct interviews. The 11th-grader told them the same story he had told the deputy and then a meeting was held with the student accused of making the sexual advances, the report says.
The accused student denied making the sexual statements and the deputy advised him of the ramifications of lying to a law enforcement officer. The student then said he has made explicit sexual statements to friends but doesn’t consider the 11th-grader to be a personal friend. And he eventually told the deputy and the DCF investigators that he “may have made the statements” but “doesn’t remember when,” the report says.
The deputy explained state statutes regarding stalking and tampering with witnesses, then explained that the other student didn’t wish to press charges but most likely would change his mind if the inappropriate behavior continued. The DCF investigators then asked the student questions about his home life and siblings. And the dean said he would handle the school’s portion of the incident.
The deputy then made contact with the student’s mother and explained what had taken place. She said that she would speak with her son and also advise his counselor and psychiatrist about the behavior, the report says.
The deputy also attempted to reach the 11th-grader’s parents to let them know the outcome but there was no answer at the phone number he was given nor a voicemail system available, the report says.