Elementary school teacher arrested for sending "sexual" photos to student

© Lee County Sheriff's Office

A Lee County elementary school teacher is charged with Cruelty Towards a Child/Transmitting information harmful to minors, according to the sheriff's office.

Tara Milton Roberts, 28, taught at River Hall Elementary School in Alva and is at the Lee County Jail being held without bond. She was arrested for sending photographs of herself scantily clad to a student through the KIK application , according to LCSO.

The messages started off as friendly but soon turned into more sexual in nature - the student knew it was Tara Roberts because he recognized her white iPhone, according to the sheriff's office.

The school district confirmed Roberts taught 5th grade, but the victim was not a student in her class. According to the investigation, Roberts told the student not to tell anyone because she would get in trouble.

According to a Lee County School District spokesperson, Roberts was in her first year of teaching and was on probationary status. She will not be returning to the district.

River Hall parents were notified of the arrest around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday - and a substitute teacher will be working with the 5th grade team until a qualified teacher can be placed.

Parents were also told the incident involved one student and the use of social media.

At her first appearance Wednesday morning, Roberts only said a few words. She is being held on a $20,000 bond and can have no unsupervised contact with minors.