CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – A 13-year-old boy told detectives Robert Grant, a Broward County Public Schools' employee, drove him to school to play basketball Aug. 4.
Grant, a 27-year-old Coral Springs Middle School custodian, also spent time with children after school to help with sports teams. Linda Lazon, the mother of a student at Coral Springs Middle School, said Grant was someone who the children trusted.
Coral Springs Police Department Detectives believe Grant violated that trust. The teen told them that while they were stretching Grant started to cross boundaries. The boy said he first adjusted his boxers and put his hand up the open leg to touch his genitalia saying that it would help his leg get better.
Grant has been in jail since October for lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and sexual battery of a minor. The charges have piled up and he was denied bond. When he appeared in court Wednesday, he was facing 13 counts of the same charge.
A 15-year-old boy told police officers Grant drove him to the school to help him with his math homework. When they were finished, they went to the gym and Grant told the teen it was time to stretch. The boy said Grant ended up performing oral sex on him and he "froze" in fear.
Grant won some hearts while he worked at the school. Rianna Sirjue, a former student of Coral Springs Middle School, said Grant was her football coach. She said she was sad to hear about the accusations.
"It's hard to believe because he was such a nice guy," Sirjue said.
Marybeth Molina agreed. Her daughter said Grant was one of her favorite custodians.
"He would come into the classroom to talk to the kids a lot," Molina said. "He was pretty popular."
Detectives were asking anyone with information about any other cases of abuse to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.