WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Palm Beach County substitute teacher has been arrested after she admitted to having a sexual relationship with a teenage student she was tutoring, deputies said.
Stacy Cabral, 23, faces several felony charges, including solicitation of a minor, electronic transmission of harmful material to a minor and being an authority figure to solicit or engage in lewd conduct with a student.
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According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office probable cause affidavit, the mother of a 16-year-old student hired Cabral to tutor her son. Several of the tutoring sessions were held at the Lantana Road library.
The teen's mother said she started to suspect that an inappropriate relationship was taking place between Cabral and her son. Her suspicions were confirmed once she saw sexually suggestive text messages and photos on her son's phone.
After the boy's mother sent Cabral a text revealing what she had seen and informing Cabral that her tutoring services were no longer needed, Cabral replied:
"Yes, ma'am. I am so sorry. I will stay away from you both and never speak with you again. I am quitting my job effective immediately. I am so sorry."
Another text from Cabal read:
"I am unfit as far as teaching goes. I do want to inform you that I have never conducted myself this way before (not that it excuses my behavior) but there has never been another child and there never will be."
Days later, the teen's mother used the GPS on her son's iPhone to track him down at Cabral's home in Greenacres, where she confronted him and Cabral.
When interviewed by Detective Teresa Grimaldi, the teen admitted his relationship with Cabral had escalated from one between a teacher and a student to having "feelings for each other."
The teen told Grimaldi that Cabral quit her job as a substitute teacher so they could "continue dating" and "ordered an Uber" for him so they could be together at her home. He also told Grimaldi he was "in love with Cabral."
Grimaldi said there were several nude photos and videos of Cabral found during a forensic examination of the boy's phone.
Cabral was arrested Thursday. Grimaldi said Cabral confessed to having a romantic relationship with the teen, who had been a student in her class.
A spokeswoman for the School District of Palm Beach County told Local 10 News that Cabral has been fired.