PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A now-former Putnam County School District teacher is under arrest and accused of sending sexual text messages to a student.
Robert Bush, 54, was arrested in Transylvania County, North Carolina on Tuesday. Bush was a teacher with the district for 15 years and most recently at Q.I. Roberts Jr.-Sr. High School since 2016.
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The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said Bush was teaching mostly high school grades and a variety of subjects.
“The individual is looking at some serious time depending on the nature of what the text messages are,” Dale Carson, a criminal defense attorney and former law enforcement officer, said. He added because the teacher is in a position of authority, the penalty could be higher in this case.
The Putnam County School District said it got a tip back in October that included a screen shot which led to an investigation internally and with the sheriff’s office.
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The 54-year-old was placed on administrative leave immediately, the district said. But Bush resigned before the investigation was complete. Detectives said he left to go to North Carolina in the midst of the investigation and did not give a return date. That’s when a warrant was put out for his arrest Tuesday.
“When there’s a text message, it memorializes the evidence in a way that can be used in a trial later. That’s really what’s happened. The technology has changed so radically that now we’re seeing a great deal of activity,” Carson explained.
The district said there were no previous complaints against Bush during his time with Putnam County Schools.
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In a statement the district said in part, “Putnam County School District is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our students. We take all allegations regarding employee conduct with the utmost seriousness.”
The district said it has assigned a counselor for any students impacted.
The sheriff’s office said there could be more victims. Bush is being held in North Carolina on a $150,000 bond. He’s charged with engaging in lewd conduct with a student which is a second-degree felony.
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