Broward County teacher arrested for performing oral sex on one of his students

Broward County substitute teacher arrested for performing oral sex on one of his students — Image credit: Vernell Hicks / Broward County Sheriff’s Office

Authorities in Broward County, Florida, reported today that one of their substitute teachers stands accused of performing oral sex on one of his teen male students. The teacher, 30-year-old Vernell Hicks of Pompano Beach was taken into custody yesterday. Hicks is looking at three separate charges of committing a sexual offense on a victim 12 to 15 years of age, lewd and lascivious behavior on a victim 12 to 16 and lewd and lascivious conduct by a person 18 or older, according to ABC News.

Hicks met the 15-year-old victim last year at Crystal Lake Middle School, in Pompano Beach. On June 3, 2017, Hicks started sending suggestive and explicit Facebook messages to the teen who was 14 at the time and one of his students. Hicks’ criminal actions were discovered by the child’s mother, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say that the communications between Hicks and his student began in June 2017 and continued until the very beginning of this week.

The victim said the two began to communicate online, and Hicks would pick him up from his home on multiple occasions and drive him to commercial warehouse areas, where he would perform oral sex on the victim.

The victim said this happened five to six times, authorities said. ~ per ABC News

Hicks initially denied having sex with the student but later confessed to performing oral sex on the teen on at least one occasion. Hicks most recently worked as an indoor suspension coach at Pompano Beach Middle School.

BSO’s Special Victims Unit detectives are concerned there may be other victims out there, because detectives were told Hicks is affiliated with a church in Pompano Beach. He is also the founder and artistic director of a children’s dance program called The Dream Project Arts Academy.

WSVN in Miami quoted Hicks’ grandmother, Pecola Simmons, as saying, “That is his life’s career, and I don’t how does that happen, but it happens. I don’t know. I don’t even have an idea. Lord, it don’t make sense because I don’t know if it happened, or I don’t know the reason or how,” she said, “but lies happen.” Simmons went on to say that Hicks is still her grandson and that she loves him.

Anyone with any information about Hicks is asked to contact SVU Det. Sira Arroyo at 954-321-4200. Anonymous tips can also be provided to Broward Crime Stoppers by calling 954-493-TIPS (8477) or online at browardcrimestoppers.org.