High school teacher accused of committing lewd conduct with a student in St. Lucie County
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — A high school math teacher from St. Lucie County is accused of engaging in lewd conduct with a 17-year-old student.The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office arrested 45-year-old Christopher Ward Hixon, of Port St. Lucie, on felony charges of an authority figure soliciting/engaging in lewd conduct with a student.
Detectives said Hixon was arrested on Monday at around 5 p.m. on Panther Lane, near Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, where he taught. Investigators said an anonymous tip led to his arrest.
“As always, the safety of students and staff on campus is our top priority,” said Sheriff Ken Mascara. “In this case, it appears that this teacher may have been grooming the student through inappropriate conduct both in school and online through social media for future sexual encounters.”
The St. Lucie County School District said Hixon will be placed on a temporary duty assignment away from students while the investigation is underway. The district is complying with law enforcement during the investigation.
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In the arrest report, the victim — who was 16 years old at the time — said sometime in October or November her math teacher, Hixon, approached her multiple times complimenting her appearance. The two would then communicate on Microsoft Teams, but moved over to Twitter after the conversation turned sexual.
The arrest report stated that the victim sent one sexual photo to Hixon. She told investigators while her and Hixon were talking, she would spend her lunch break in his classroom and stated she would never do the work in his class and still get good grades.
When investigators asked why the conversations stopped, the victim told investigators he said, "You're going to leave me," and would guilt her by saying he was having troubles in his relationship. The arrest report also said that the victim didn't believe they were in a relationship.
When Hixon was interviewed, he denied the claims. Hixon told investigators he was going through marital issues with his wife, and told the victim about his situation. He said that's when she began to pursue him.
The sheriff's office said Hixon was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail on a $50,000 bond.