A middle school teacher in Santa Rosa County is facing felony charges after investigators say he exchanged sexual messages with what he thought was a former 14-year-old student.
King Middle School teacher Robert Todd Crutchfield, 41, of Pace, was arrested late Friday night after showing up to a park to engage in sexual activity with the minor, according to his Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Crutchfield has been suspended without pay and will not be recommended for re-employment next year unless he is cleared of all charges, according to Santa Rosa County Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick.
Crutchfield was hired by the district three years ago and taught sixth grade social science, Wyrosdick said.
The events that led to Crutchfield’s arrest began June 12 after he sent a Facebook friend request to the former student. The student accepted the request and they began chatting online.
The student alerted an adult after the conversations took an "uncomfortable" turn and the adult alerted the Sheriff’s Office, the report stated.
The Sheriff’s Office took over the conversation with Crutchfield and continued to chat with him online as the student. Eventually Crutchfield asked to start communicating via text message.
Throughout the conversations, Crutchfield requested explicit photographs, but also asked the former student to delete their conversations, the report stated.
After asking about the sexual history of the student, Crutchfield asked to meet. When he showed up at the designated park in Pace, he was met by law enforcement and arrested.
Crutchfield is facing three counts of using a computer to seduce, solicit or lure a child and one count of traveling to meet a child after using a computer to lure a child.