A Florida-based football coach, Tyler James Eden, 31, is facing charges for alleged inappropriate behavior with female students at his school. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has charged Eden with lewd offense against a student by an authority figure, lewd and lascivious touching of a minor, and voyeurism. The charges stem from allegations that Eden engaged in inappropriate sexual discussions with the students under the guise of discussing community service hours.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Eden allegedly cornered the students and initiated inappropriate conversations about sexual topics. The names of the alleged victims have been redacted from the affidavit for their protection.
One of the alleged incidents involved an 18-year-old student who Eden reportedly asked about her future career plans. When she expressed her desire to become an OB-GYN, Eden allegedly responded with a lewd comment about oral sex. This led to the student declining Eden’s offer for community service.
In another incident, Eden allegedly had an inappropriate conversation with a different 18-year-old student in the locker room. Eden reportedly told the student that there were no cameras in the locker room and that it would be “easy to do certain things in there.” He also allegedly bragged about his popularity as a football coach and claimed that another teacher wanted to have sex with him in the locker room.
A 16-year-old student also reported inappropriate behavior from Eden. She claimed that Eden approached her about helping with athletic chores to fulfill her community service requirement. During their interaction, Eden allegedly made inappropriate comments about wanting to have relations with a teacher, despite being married.
The 16-year-old student returned the next day to continue her community service. During this time, Eden allegedly touched her inappropriately. The student reported the incident to her parents, who then informed school administrators. Eden has since declined to speak to investigators without his attorney present.
The affidavit also suggests that Eden’s alleged victims may have crossed paths during his alleged inappropriate behavior. One victim reported seeing another female student leaving the locker room with a “weird look” on her face, suggesting that something was wrong.
Eden was arrested on Wednesday and made his first court appearance on Thursday. He is scheduled for an arraignment on May 20 and is currently being held at the Polk County jail.
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid condemned Eden’s alleged actions in a statement released through the sheriff’s office. Heid praised the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation and for taking action to protect students.