Report: Substitute teacher at Gainesville elementary school charged with stalking student
A substitute teacher at a Gainesville elementary school was charged Saturday with aggravated stalking. He's accused of driving to an 11-year-old student's apartment complex and later texting her, according to an Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrest report.
Brandon Jo Finley, 28, was a long-term substitute teacher at Idylwild Elementary School. According to the report, he met the victim at the school on Jan. 18 while she was alone and told her that he would be in her neighborhood later and that he would meet her when she got off the bus to give her something.
The girl told the sheriff's office that this terrified her as she had no idea how Finley knew where she lived.
When she got off the bus, Finley called out to her from his car, which was parked in the girl's apartment complex. He gave the girl candy and a black notebook, the report said.
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Despite being "confused and disturbed," the girl said she carried on with her day. She later said she became "unfocused and in distress."
The following day, Finley again made contact with the girl when she was alone at the school. He asked if she had looked in the back of the notebook, to which she replied she had not. He told her to check for a message at the back of the notebook when she returned home, the report said. Upon opening the notebook she found what turned out to be an app-generated phone number.
The girl called the number but no one answered. She then received a text that said "who is this." When told who it was, Finley reportedly responded with, "well only text here. No calls. Okay?" The girl agreed.
Finley texted again, according to the report, writing "Also, we have to be sure to never discuss texting in person. And never tell or show anyone. Save the number under something you'll remember so you are able to delete the messages. ... This is not something I've done with anyone else. Mfer could get in trouble. Don't tell ya mom, anyone at school, nobody. Deal?"
According to the report, Finley continued to text despite the girl telling him “that is weird” and “I feel really scared.”
“I feel uncomfortable I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” she wrote.
During an interview with law enforcement, Finley changed his story several times and "lied numerous times," the report said. He admitted to texting the girl with the app-generated phone number but said he had no sexual intentions. He also said that he knew it was wrong to communicate with the girl and that the "way he acted he would be viewed as a pedophile."
As of Monday evening, Finley was still being held at the Alachua County Jail, where bail was set at $250,000. If released, Finley is to have no contact with the victim and cannot return to the school. He also must wear a GPS device.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Idylwild Elementary School teacher accused of stalking student
