A school teacher at Cardinal Gibbons Catholic High School was arrested for having a sexual relationship with his 16-year-old student, the Broward Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
John Farrell, 25, was arrested on May 27, and faces 20 counts of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, the complaint affidavit said. On Tuesday, Broward Circuit Judge John Hurley granted him $50,000 bond.
Farrell began a "consensual relationship with the victim during after school activities," the affidavit said.
According to authorities, during a phone call with the teen, Farrell acknowledged the sexual relationship and "asked her to not to say anything."
"The defendant has invoked his right to remain silent," the affidavit said.
Detectives learned that Farrell had been engaging in sexual activity with the student since the beginning of March, BSO spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said.
"The student would go over to his house after school and that's where the crime would take place," she said, referring to his Lauderdale-by-the-Sea apartment.
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The Archdiocese of Miami said in an email statement, "Late afternoon on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2013, Cardinal Gibbons Catholic High School administrators were notified by the Broward Sheriff’s Office that John Farrell, a math and statistics teacher at the school had been arrested."
Farrell was a first-year teacher at the school, the Archdiocese said. He had also participated in a full background screening and training of Miami's safe environment policy before his employment for this school year.
He has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the Archdiocese said.
Also, school administrators are cooperating fully with the sheriff's office investigation, and an email has been sent to all of the parents.
"I think it's just horrible what happened and I am sure the school is taking care of it, my understanding is that they are taking care of it," Cardinal Gibbons parent Angelina Chimarelli said.
Meanwhile, the judge also ordered that Farrell wear a GPS monitor, that he stay away from the victim and have no contact with her, either directly or indirectly.
Farrell said in court that he didn't have an attorney yet.
He also said he had lived in South Florida for nine months and have previously lived in Virginia.
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