A former teacher at IMG Academy in Bradenton has been arrested on charges that she had sex with a student.
Taylor J. Anderson, 38, was arrested Monday night on charges of sexual battery by custodial authority, traveling to meet a minor and transmission of harmful material to a minor, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reports.
Sheriff’s officials said IMG staff contacted them on Sept. 14 to report the allegations.
“IMG administration had overheard rumors about an unlawful relationship and quickly confronted that student to confirm whether the rumors were true. The student admitted to having sex with Taylor Anderson, a teacher at IMG,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “She was not allowed back on the campus by IMG staff, and was terminated a short time later.”
Investigators learned that Anderson had been communicating with the student via social media and texts over the course of several weeks. In July, she had taken the student to the beach, “where the pair engaged in sexual acts while inside Anderson’s vehicle,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the news release.
Anderson initially refused to talk with investigators, who obtained search warrants for her home, vehicle and phone.
Detectives later obtained an arrest warrant for Anderson but could not locate her. Deputies said she spent several days “evading deputies,” including taking a brief trip out of state, before turning herself in Monday night.
