Teacher Nabbed For Harboring 'Missing' Teenage Boy In Her Home

A minor with the initials “DJ,” who had been reported missing since Aug. 12, was finally recently found hiding at the home of a Florida high school teacher, Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed.

Kelly Simpson, 31, who teaches at the Charlotte High School and resident of Port Charlotte, has been taken into custody by the authorities after investigators found that she allegedly interfered with the custody of a minor.

According to the Sheriff’s office, Simpson allegedly picked up the boy from an unidentified site and then harbored him inside her home, all the while knowing that he has been reported missing, reported WFLA.

An arrest affidavit revealed that “DJ” seemingly recently had a disagreement with his parents and stole US$100 from their home on Manatee Lane in Port Charlotte. The underage boy then reportedly ran away from home, leaving behind his cellphone and his medication, spurring his anxious parents to file a report with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.

Simpson reportedly admitted to knowing the boy and being aware that he was missing from the posters around town during an initial visit by the authorities. However, when the cops wanted to search her home for the minor, she told them that he wasn't around. Simpson later admitted to picking up the teen from Punta Gorda and then dropping him off at a gas station.

The Charlotte County School District has already placed Simpson on administrative leave from her job at Charlotte High, the school district confirmed in a statement.

Personnel from the Sheriff’s office said the investigation continues but have not given any additional details about the “hidden-and-found” minor.

An examination carried out by Fox News Digital, that probed into local news stories that featured arrests of principals, teachers, substitute teachers, and teachers’ aides, found that at least 181 K-12 educators, including four principals, have been nabbed for child sex-associated misconducts in the U.S. in the first six months of 2022, the cases ranging from child pornography to molesting and violating students.