Religious School Teacher Accused Of Sexually Molesting Minor
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A teacher at a Seventh-day Adventist school in North Miami is accused of sexually molesting a minor.
Mwon Taylor, 39, has been charged with five counts of sexual battery and 15 counts of lewd/lascivious molestation on a child between 12 and 16 years of age, according to the North Miami Police Department spokeswoman Natalie Buissereth.
Taylor teaches at Miami Union Academy, at 12600 NW 4TH Avenue. It's a private school for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.
On Wednesday the school's principal Renée P. Hodge issued a statement concerning Taylor's arrest.
"It came to our attention that an alleged incident occurred involving a former student of Miami Union Academy and a faculty member. We are deeply sadden and regret to hear this news. We do not condone inappropriate behaviors of any sort, and are very protective of our students. Be assured that the school's administration is in complete cooperation with the authorities and their investigation."
The girl came forward recently with her mother and reportedly told police about several incidents which happened when she was 14 years old and in eighth grade at the school.
"The victim was forced to perform oral sex on him and he also performed it on her," said Buissereth. "When adults have sex with a child it is not consensual."
Police say the victim said there were a total of 20 inappropriate encounters with Taylor when she was in the 8th and 9th grade and five of them were sexually explicit.
She told police Taylor first started exhibiting strange behavior when he was taking photographs of her feet.
A police report says "the approximately 15 inappropriate but not explicitly sexual encounters included Mr. Taylor grabbing buttocks and rubbing his hands in genital areas between classes and after school over clothing."
The girl told police the acts were consensual and happened at a number of places including outside Taylor's apartment, at a Greyhound bus station and even inside a classroom.
Detectives say most of the encounters happened at the school.
Police suspect there may be other victims.
"This occurred in 2011 and 2012, and now we are in 2016, so you know there are a lot of kids at that school at this time," said Buissereth. "So we want to get the message out. If anyone has any information about this case, or maybe could have been a victim themselves, they need to contact us."
Taylor is currently being held on no bond.
He refused to appear in bond court on Thursday and the case was reset for Friday.
Taylor lives in a home in Hollywood and neighbors were surprised to hear about the charges.
"It was nothing out of the ordinary," said Rosa Negron, a neighbor of Taylor's. "He seemed like a good guy. I would say bye. He would never talk nothing. He seemed like an honest guy. I never thought he would do something scary like that."
"Like I told my kids the people you think would never do something like that are the ones that do something and the ones you think would do not so you cannot judge a book by its cover."
Detectives say if you know about other victims, call them or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
