Heather Matheison, a secretary at Chasco Middle School in Florida, has been arrested for reportedly sending a graphic video of herself to a 14-year-old student. According to the Miami Herald, the 25-year-old Matheison sent a video of her pleasuring herself to the boy on Snapchat.
The student later showed his mother the video which led to Matheison’s arrest.
“The complainant showed me a short video, which shows the defendant’s face. She is wearing a shirt but no pants,” an officer who made the arrest said in the affidavit, via the New York Post. Matheison then admitted to sending the video: “She described the video exactly as I had seen it, and she confessed to sending it over Snapchat to the 14-year-old victim.”
To make matters worse, Matheison admitted to knowing the young student’s age.
Matheison was charged with submitting electronic transmission material that is harmful to minors.
There is no word currently on her employment status with Chasco Middle School, but it is currently under review by the school board. Judging by the charges, it’s hard to imagine she will be allowed back around the kids.
Since the beginning of 2019 alone, a handful of teachers have been arrested on similar charges, including 25-year-old substitute teacher Alexis Mercedes Boberg in Baltimore, Beulah High School teacher Kelsie Schmidt in North Dakota, Rancocas Valley Regional High School teacher Alexandra Reiner in New Jersey, and 50-year-old Florida substitute teacher Angela Jean Stanton in Florida. Additionally, Texas teachers Meredith Null and Edna Longoria were arrested on similar charges.
As for why the number of these incidents has seemingly increased, studies suggest that smartphones are the primary reason for the spike in illicit relationships, as it allows teachers to communicate with the minors without supervision.
According to a report from the Texas Education Association, smartphones make easy for teachers to privately text and talk with students and also make it possible for teachers and students to share explicit images.
