PALMETTO - A Manatee County teacher was arrested on Thursday on charges stemming from a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old female student.
Lamount Houston, 31, was charged with with sexual battery of a child between ages 12 and 18, lewd and lascivious molestation of a child between the ages 12 and 16, and child abuse for someone 21 years or older impregnating a child under the age of 16. Bond was set at $55,000.
Students at Lincoln Middle School, where Houston worked before resigning Friday, and parents both voiced their displeasure at the charges facing Houston.
"He was my mentor in 8th grade," said Jed Baubitz. The high school freshman says it was Houston who helped him complete middle school last year.
Houston worked with students who fell behind in class for being chronically absent.
"I didn't want to go see him and disappoint him for being bad. That made me not want to be bad in school," said Baubitz.
Now it's Houston who is disappointing others.
"That's very inappropriate. It shouldn't be happening at all," said Lincoln student Nisa Tolvar.
"Crazy, something you don't do," said one parent. "It's child abuse, basically."
According to the arrest report, Houston began a casual relationship with the student in May. Besides texting, the report states Houston picked up the teen twice, once in June and again several weeks later. Both times they had sex, both times without her mother knowing.
Baubitz said, "I'm shocked. He's a nice guy. I didn't think he'd do something like that."
The judge said despite the girl's age it appears the sexual relationship was consensual.
"How consensual is that when you are young you don't know what's going on?" asked another parent.
The judge found Houston took advantage of his role as a teacher and thus set his bond higher than normal.
Tolvar said students are supposed to be able to depend on teachers. She said, "Supposed to help you, protect you, have confidence in them. It's not supposed to be happening."
What would Baubitz like to say to his 'mentor' today?
"Why did you do it? Was it worth it?" he replied.
The Manatee School District says it's conducting its own investigation.
