Orange County substitute teacher accused of lewd acts in classroom

Substitute teacher accused of lewd acts in classroom

A substitute teacher at Howard Middle School has been released from jail after he was arrested for allegedly touching himself while looking at photos with students present in the classroom.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A substitute teacher at an Orange County middle school is accused of touching himself in a sexual manner in a classroom with students in the room, according to the Orlando Police Department. 

Daniel Huerta, 27, of Orlando is charged with one count of offenses against students by authority figures and one count of unnatural or lascivious act. 

Daniel Huerta, 27, of Orlando is charged with one count of offenses against students by authority figures and one count of unnatural or lascivious act. 

What we know:

Administrators at Howard Middle School told Orlando Police that students reported Huerta was viewing sexual photos on his phone and performing lewd acts while at the teacher's desk area. 

A photo provided in the arrest warrant affidavit showed the classroom's layout, claiming that students were able to view Huerta's phone when getting a restroom pass and were able to see his actions from their desks. 

An Orange County detective said – after interviewing students – that the lewd acts on Oct. 9 continued for seven minutes.

When told about the allegations, Huerta initially said he was adjusting his slim pants, the detective said. Later, Huerta said he couldn't remember exactly what happened in the classroom, but then admitted to the accusations, saying he was maybe looking at his phone while touching himself, the detective said. 

Orange County Schools respond

In a statement released to FOX 35, Orange County Public Schools disclosed that families at Howard Middle Schools were notified of the arrest of a former substitute. Substitutes are not employed by Orange County Public Schools, a spokesperson said. 

"We take any allegation very seriously as the safety of students and staff is our top priority," the school district said in a statement. "This individual will not be substituting in our school or any OCPS school and will not be anywhere near our school due to an ongoing investigation."

Kelly Education responds

Huerta was hired by education staffing company, Kelly Education, to work as a substitute teacher at Howard Middle School. 

Kelly Education released an Oct. 22 statement to FOX 35, saying, "The safety and well-being of the students we serve is our highest priority. The individual in question is no longer employed by Kelly Education. We are fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement throughout their ongoing investigation.
 

"Our screening procedures comply with the Florida Department of Education’s rigorous standards and go beyond those standards to include comprehensive background and fingerprint checks, which cover local, state, and national criminal records, as well as the National Sex Offender Registry and crimes against children. In addition to state standards, our vetting system strictly adheres to all district requirements, ensuring we maintain the highest safety standards. The former substitute educator passed all screenings prior to employment."

What we don't know:

It's not known at this time if Huerta was involved in any similar incidents before working at Howard Middle School.