Teacher

Broward Teacher Takes Plea Deal for Sex with Student

A former private school biology teacher in Deerfield, Florida, pleaded guilty to sexual battery charges after he was caught having sex with one of his students.

Eric Beasley, 24, accepted a plea deal Thursday to nine counts of sexual battery with a victim between the ages of 12 and 17-years-old. Beasley was arrested in April after Lighthouse Point Police found the teacher and a 14-year-old victim having sex in the back of Beasley’s car.

"This was not a predator situation, this was a situation where he was just absolutely enamored with this girl and they had a relationship," defense attorney Mike Gelety said after Thursday's hearing. "Were there sexual activities? Yes. Were there also times when they would watch movies and talk about things and play games and do things that you would expect? Predominately."

The two admitted to police that Beasley was the girl's 9th grade biology teacher at Zion Lutheran Christian School, the report said. Beasley and the girl told police it was not the first time they had met there for sex.

Police said they also reviewed Beasley's cell phone and found he had sent the student a photo of his penis and a video of himself masturbating.

Beasley also told police he had engaged in inappropriate behavior with the girl at school, including kissing during her lunch breaks, according to a police report. He told police the physical relationship with the victim began around Valentine's Day of this year.

Beasley, expected to spend 20 years in prison, will be sentenced on Feb. 19, 2015. He also still faces additional federal charges.

"His decision to do this is to not cause her any more trauma, to cause her any more pain, to let her get on with her life," Gelety said.

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