How a middle school teacher crying in class allegedly led to sexual relationship with former student that landed her in jail

A former Florida middle school teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with a former student that all started because the woman was crying in class, according to authorities.

Erika Lynn Mattson, 36, was arrested Thursday. She was booked into the Bay City Jail and charged with a felony count of an authority figure engaging in sexual conduct with a student, according to a police report Blaze News obtained.

'The victim could not advise exactly how many times the two engaged in sexual activity while he was still enrolled in school but advised it happened numerous times before he graduated.'

Mattson was released Friday after posting a $25,000 bond and was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim.

People magazine said Mattson had been the student's middle school teacher at Kaleidoscope School of Discovery in Panama City years before the sexual relationship. The student reportedly was 18 years old at the time of the sexual relationship and was attending high school, which is housed in the same building as the middle school.

Citing the arrest warrant, the Panama City News Herald reported that the alleged illicit relationship began when the student noticed the teacher was crying in her classroom, so he purportedly approached her to console her.

The pair reportedly began messaging each other on Facebook, which allegedly included "flirting." The alleged victim said it soon developed into a sexual relationship while he was still a student, according to the arrest affidavit.

The student said that he and Mattson went to a movie theater but "never made it inside" because they "talked and made out," the affidavit said.

The alleged victim told officers that he and the teacher began having a "sexual and romantic relationship" in May 2023.

The student reportedly told investigators he went to Mattson's home and engaged in sexual intercourse.

"The victim could not advise exactly how many times the two engaged in sexual activity while he was still enrolled in school but advised it happened numerous times before he graduated," the affidavit states.

The student provided investigators with photos of himself with Mattson, including "shirtless photos of the victim with [Mattson] embracing him" as well as images of the pair "kissing," according to the affidavit.

According to the police report Blaze News obtained, a detective investigating a different case discovered the alleged teacher-student sex scandal.

"While investigating a separate case, it was brought to my attention that a former teacher at Kaleidoscope School, 2420 Jenks Avenue, was possibly having an inappropriate, sexual relationship with a student while he was enrolled at the school," the Panama City Police Department detective wrote.

Mattson is representing herself in the case, according to court records.

Mattson is scheduled to return to court on May 15.

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