A Broward County substitute teacher had been accused of performing oral sex on a teenage student.
Authorities arrested 30-year-old Vernell Hicks, of Pompano Beach, on Thursday on 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.
the victim's mother contacted the Broward Sheriff's Office Wednesday after discovering inappropriate Facebook messages on her 15-year-old son's cellphone between her son and Hicks.
Deputies said the conversations started in June 2017 and continued until Tuesday.
Authorities said the conversations consisted of the two coordinating when Hicks was going to perform oral sex on the teen.
The victim's mother told deputies that Hicks was her son's substitute teacher two years ago at Crystal Lake Middle School.
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.
According to the arrest report, Hicks initially denied the accusations but then confessed to performing oral sex on the victim once.
Hicks is being held in lieu of a $150,000 bond. He has been ordered not to have contact with the victim or any minors and is to have no internet access.