Retired Terra Environmental Research Institute Teacher Accused Of Sexual Activity With Child

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office announced Friday that a 30-year veteran Miami-Dade educator has been charged with one count of sexual activity with a child.

Tom Miller Privett, 70, is accused of having sexual contact with a student starting in March 2016, while Privett was teaching History at Terra Environmental Research Institute Magnet School.

Authorities said the victim says that while she was in the 11th grade, Privett allegedly started to engage in sexual conversations with the victim, discussing his "sexual desires and a range of blatantly sexual topics."

Officials say that these conversations continued into the victim's senior year of high school and on March 8, 2016, Privett allegedly asked the victim to meet him inside of his classroom after school.

The victim told authorities that once inside, Privett locked the classroom door and placed his hand inside the victim's underwear and began to touch her private parts.

The very next day, the victim told authorities that the former teacher engaged in sexual intercourse and oral sex with the victim in his classroom.

The victim says she and Privett engaged in sexual activity every day after school inside of Privett's classroom for the next three months until the school year ended.

Privett was taken into custody by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department Friday morning and is awaiting transportation back to Miami-Dade County.

Privett is being held without bond due to the severity of the accusations against him.

Investigators are trying to determine if there are other potential victims.

"Every educator deserves to earn the trust and respect placed in them by students, parents and school administrators," said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. "When a teacher transforms from an esteemed educator to an alleged sexual predator, lives are permanently damaged, trust is betrayed, and a serious crime has been committed."

Miller Privett retired from the Miami-Dade Schools in 2017.