Matthew Thompson, Lakeland, Florida (arrested Dec 2011)

TMP · Dec 17, 2011

Lakeland, Florida, and Polk County teachers with "issues":

Edward Demoreta, Mulberry, Florida (arrested Nov 2011)

Simone M. Paolercio, Lakeland, Florida (arrested Dec 2011) [throwing hash browns at Macs]

Corey Swindler, Lakeland, Florida

Matthew Thompson, Lakeland, Florida (arrested Dec 2011)

Name: Matthew Thompson, 140 Glendale St., Lakeland, Florida

Age: 30

School: George Jenkins High School, Lakeland, Florida (previously coached at Melbourne Central Catholic, Melbourne, Florida, 2005-2007; then at Wildwood High School in Sumter County)

Position: Football coach

Victim: Girl, 17

ABC Action News (14 Dec 2011): George Jenkins head football coach Matt Thompson arrested for sex related crimes against children

ABC Action News said:

The head football coach at George Jenkins High School was arrested Wednesday after, police say, he admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old student. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Matt Thompson, 30, invited a 17-year-old female student to his house at least three times. Judd said they had sex at least two of those times.
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Lakeland Ledger (14 Dec 2011): Jenkins Head Football Coach Arrested

Lakeland Ledger said:

Matt Thompson, head football coach at George Jenkins High School, has been arrested in what the Polk County Sheriff's Office is saying is a sex-related crime. Thompson, 30, faces two counts of sexual battery by a person of custodial authority, according to the arrest affidavit.
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Orlando Sentinel (14 Dec 2011): Football coach, youth pastors accused of sex with teen girls

Orlando Sentinel said:

Investigators found text messages between the alleged victim and [Matthew] Thompson that included information about the alleged tryst. Deputies say the victim spent several days visiting Thompson at his apartment and described the interior of his bedroom.
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Palm Beach Post (14 Dec 2011): Sex crimes: Head football coach accused of sex with teen girl

My Fox Tampa Bay (14 Dec 2011): Sheriff: George Jenkins High football coach had sex with student

"He was flirty with the students, but I just thought that was his personality," said Shelby Hallman, a Jenkins student. "I didn't think he was going to go further with it." But investigators say he did, and they have evidence to help prove it. "We have a recorded conversation where he admitted to having sex with a child," said Polk Sheriff Grady Judd. "He (Thompson) said, 'If you tell anyone, I will lose my job. If you tell anyone, I will go to jail.' I can't speak for his job, but I can tell you that he is going to jail."
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Central Florida News 13 (14 Dec 2011): Polk County football coach, 2 youth pastors, arrested on sex-related charges

Judd said he received a call suggesting he investigate a claim that Thompson, commonly referred to as "The Dude," was performing sexual acts with students. An investigation determined that he was flirting with a 17-year-old student and on at least three occasions, he invited her to his residence. At least twice, Judd said the investigation revealed, Thompson engaged in sexual conduct with the student.
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Free Republic (14 Dec 2011): Florida evangelical pastors charged with sex crimes

Polk County Sheriff's deputies arrested Coach Matthew Thompson, 30, at his apartment in Lakeland on December 14. He stands charged with two counts of sexual battery by a person of custodial authority. Investigators claim that the coach had sex several times with one of his 17-year-old female students. They apparently found messages texted by the ill-starred pair about an alleged tryst. The 17-year-old girl had spent several spent several days with Thompson at his apartment and was able to describe his bedroom.
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Miami Herald (14 Dec 2011): 3 charged with sex crimes in Polk County

Miami Herald said:

Matt Thompson, a 30-year-old football coach, was charged Wednesday with two counts of sexual battery by a person of custodial authority.
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Daily Ridge (14 Dec 2011): George Jenkins Head Coach Matt Thompson Arrested

Daily Ridge said:

News about the arrest of Matt Thompson (head football coach of George Jenkins) has spread like wild fire. Thompson was brought in to replace Pat Dooly, who resigned due to family issues, back in the summer of 2010. He was among 86 applicants for the job ...
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Lakeland Ledger (15Dec 2011): Coach Accused of Sex Crime Faces Dismissal, Bail Set at $50,000

Lakeland Ledger said:

The criminal charges are the latest controversy to swirl around Thompson, who was also known as "The Dude," and was hired in August 2010 for an annual salary of $36,721. The Polk County School District has been conducting an investigation into allegations that Thompson harassed and humiliated football players he was coaching.
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ABC Action News (15 Dec 2011): Football coach arrested for sex with student faced other allegations at George Jenkins HS

Coryn Zepeda had Thompson as a gym teacher two semesters in a row. "This is what I got from him," she said. "Unless you were a pretty girl, he would pretty much ignore you, or if you were a football player, he would give you attention."
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WTSP (15 Dec 2011): High school football coach, youth ministers arrested on child sex charges

Matt Thompson, the 30-year-old head football coach at George Jenkins High School, was arrested Tuesday night and faces two counts of sexual battery by a person of custodial authority, according to the arrest affidavit. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday that Thompson invited a 17-year-old student at George Jenkins High School to his house three times and twice had sex with her.
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Tampa Tribune (15 Dec 2011): Coach, two others arrested on child-sex charges

In less than 24 hours, deputies arrested Thompson on charges of having sex with a 17-year-old student, Judd said ... "We have a recorded conversation in which he admitted having sex with this child," Judd said.
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Polk Preps (15 Dec 2011): Jenkins' Coach's Arrest Comes on Heels of Ex-Players' Accusations of Bullying

Polk Preps said:

... rumors had been circulating around school and within the football community for some time that Thompson, who has been coaching at the school for two years, was often a bit too friendly with a couple of female teenage students ... "He had been under investigation for allegedly texting unprofessional comments, and also we're reviewing allegations of bullying by Mr. Thompson," said [county personnel investigator Manny] Rodriguez on Wednesday.
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WTSP (16 Dec 2011): School superintendent wants accused coach fired

WTSP said:

Superintendent of Schools Sherrie Nickell plans to recommend school board members fire Matt Thompson at the board's Jan. 17 meeting. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, 30-year-old Matt Thompson had sex with the girl on at least two occasions at the coach's home, located at 140 Glendale St. in Lakeland.
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Mugshot from 9 Feb 2008 arrest for criminal mischief:

TMP · Dec 17, 2011

Matthrew Thompson was already under investigationf for two other issues ...

Bay News 9 (14 Dec 2014): Polk County football coach, 2 youth pastors, arrested on sex-related charges

Bay News 9 said:

One parent, Heather Clark, said her son, Jadrian Clark, was forced to do "bear crawls" on a concrete floor despite having two broken fingers. She told the Ledger Jadrian was kicked off the team and called names by Thompson after showing up to practice not dressed to participate because he had suffered a concussion in the previous game. Joe Stafford, the father of Jacobe Stafford, told the Ledger that [Matthew] Thompson belittled the player with profanity after he suffered a knee injury in practice. Thompson has been under investigation by the Polk County School District after being accused of harassment. The accusations arose during a Florida High School Athletic Association investigation into allegations that some former Jenkins athletes falsified information before enrolling at Lakeland High School.
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TMP · Dec 18, 2011

News Chief (15 Dec 2011): Matt Thompson one of 3 men held this week in cases involving teens

During a taped conversation between Thompson and the teen, the girl told [Matthew] Thompson they engaged in sexual activities and he said "absolutely," according to the arrest affidavit. She asked whether he wanted her to go to his house and he said, "Absolutely. Why don't you come over and stay. You can go to school nice and early and I'll sleep in."
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TMP · Dec 29, 2011

Polk Preps (25 Dec 2011): A Transfer Dispute, and a Coach's Fall

Polk Preps said:

... a School District investigation into [Matthew] Thompson and whether he had harassed the three players who left for Lakeland. The families of those athletes said he did and that was their reason for leaving Jenkins. No one believed them, though, including the Florida High School Athletic Association, the governing body for high school sports in Florida. Instead, the FHSAA said that the families of Clark, Stafford and Brunson moved their sons and falsified information so they could play football at Lakeland. The three players were ruled ineligible for their senior years.
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Matthew Thompson, Lakeland, Florida (arrested Dec 2011)

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