Women

Kelly Simpson, Charlotte High School English teacher accused of hiding a missing 15-year-old student in her home

Published

4 years ago

August 24, 2022

A female high school teacher in Florida is accused of hiding a 15-year-old boy who had a crush on her inside her house after becoming aware that his parents and the police were looking for him.

After a brief standoff with police at her front door, Kelly Simpson, 31, an English teacher at Charlotte High School where the adolescent studies, was apprehended and charged with interfering with the custody of a minor on Tuesday, according to the police.

According to an arrest document, the youngster, known only by his initials D.J., got into a fight with his parents last Friday after skipping school and stole $100 from their house on Manatee Lane in Port Charlotte.

Detectives searched the boy’s social media and attempted to locate him using bank records, and other electronic gadgets, but days passed with no sign of the adolescent.

*Excerpt from the Kelly Joyce Simpson affidavit* –
source: https://lawandcrime.com

He also didn’t leave a letter behind.

When detectives visited the house, the resident said that D.J. had been picked up by a woman called Kelly who was driving a black automobile, contrary to the information that he had been residing at an unnamed residence in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Police were informed by the boy’s parents that the only Kelly they were aware of was his former English instructor.

According to court documents, they informed police that their son “would talk about Kelly constantly and would even bring her coffee.”

She acknowledged knowing the youngster and having seen the missing person sign that had been posted around town when Detective Jonathan Murray visited Simpson’s residence, but when the police asked to search the house for the teenager, she said he wasn’t there.

According to Murray, “She stated that she did pick him up from Punta Gorda and then dropped him off at a petrol station.”

She hesitated once again as detectives pushed her to go inside the house.

The investigator claimed, “I inquired again whether I may clear the home and she answered no.” Since [D.J.] wasn’t present,

She didn’t confess the youngster was inside the house until the investigator warned her that if they subsequently discovered he was there, she might be charged with a felony.

Kelly paused before saying that she would go inside and get [D.J.] to come out, Murray recalled. Kelly continued inside the house, and about ten minutes later, [D.J.] emerged.

According to authorities, the youngster claimed to have been picked up by the teacher and had spent one night there.

‘Kelly Simpson was placed under arrest for interfering with the custody of a minor after picking the juvenile up from an unknown location and concealing him inside her home while having knowledge of his missing endangered status,’ the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

She was granted a public defender appointment and released on a $5,000 bail.

According to the school administration, Charlotte High School has put her on administrative leave and suspended her from teaching.

Officials from the high school released a statement saying, “Charlotte County Public Schools takes an incident like this very seriously.” “Our pupils’ safety, protection, and wellbeing are of utmost importance.”

The announcement stunned the school’s students, but several claimed that she had been overly friendly in the classroom.